


Who Can't Lie?

by Delusional_Lunatic_3791



Category: DCU (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Addiction, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Blind Character, Death, Depression, Drug Use, Emotional Trauma, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Heroin Usage, Implied Rape/Non-con, M/M, Meta-Human Trafficking, Multi, Murder, Not graphic descriptions, OCD, OOC, PTSD, Polyamory, Read at Your Own Risk, Recreational Drug Use, Trans Female Character, Trigger Warning: Miscarriage, Uncle Philip is an Asshole™, but just a warning, for those of you who do not like gore, mentioned genocide, mentioned rape/non-con, mentioned underage, only mentioned - Freeform, self-indulgent ships™, sort-of schizophrenia, there's more gore, trigger warning: addiction, voices
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-07 18:36:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 121
Words: 154,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20821955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delusional_Lunatic_3791/pseuds/Delusional_Lunatic_3791
Summary: What happens when the oh-so-perfect Justice League crosses paths with a murder of serial killer vigilantes? Well, a lot of things, some that neither party expects.





	1. Nightmare On A Cold Winter Night

**Author's Note:**

> I LIVE. And I've gotten so addicted to the DCU fandom that I've created like nineteen crack ships out of thin air! I should probably be trying to update some of my other fics, and I'm trying, but the DCU is taking up all of my focus. Just assume the others are on an indefinite hiatus for now. In the meantime, please enjoy this piece of angst I cranked out in all of five months.

**Bruce Wayne**

I jerked up, a scream caught in my throat that thankfully never worked its way free.

Breathing hard, I fell back against the pillows, trying to will the tenseness out of my body. I should have known better—you can’t will trauma away, no matter how hard you try.

Gulping in deep breaths, I pushed the covers away and stood on shaky legs, making my way to the doors to my own private balcony. It was January right now, and currently cold as Heaven, but I needed the chill, needed the fierce biting of the winter winds to remind me that this was _real, _that I was _here, _and that the nightmares were _just nightmares._

Throwing the doors open, I gritted my teeth as the blast of cold nearly sent me staggering back. It was almost like being shot by Mister Freeze’s gun. But I forced myself to take a deep breath and faced the wind head on.

It was painful, standing in the wind, but it electrified my senses, made me feel more alive and grounded than I had lying in my bed. And as my skin chilled, I thought of my nightmare.

_ She was laughing, her beautiful black hair in braids that just touched her shoulder blades, dressed in her baseball uniform. Not softball—no, her coach had allowed her the highest honor and let her join the boy’s baseball team._

_ The game was over. She had hit a home run and won the game, and was holding up a trophy, victory shining on her face._

_ Perched upon a teammate’s shoulders, she was surrounded by an adoring crowd, everyone chanting her name._

_ “Nell!” they all yelled. “Nell! Nell! Nell! Nell! Nell!”_

_ When she turned her gaze to me, beaming like the sun, it happened._

_ The gun went off, and I didn’t have to look to know the bullet had blown right through her skull and killed her instantly. She fell off of her teammate’s shoulders and plunged to the ground, lying there like a fallen angel._

_ I stood there in total shock, watching as familiar figures pushed past me and through the crowd of players. Then Duke was cradling her in his arms._

_ “Nell!” he screamed. “Nell! Nell! Nell! Nell! Nell!”_

_ Nell._

_ Spunky, vivacious, beautiful, vibrant Nell._

_ Nell was dead._

_ Nell was dead._

_ Dead._

_ Dead._

_ Dead._

_ And now…_

_ Now I was surrounded by a whirlwind of faces, each one sending pain lancing through my heart._

_ Julia._

_ Jim._

_ Jean-Paul._

_ Selina._

_ Little Helena._

_ Carrie._

_ Bette._

_ Lucius._

_ Tanya._

_ Tiffany._

_ Tamara._

_ Basil._

_ Hank._

_ Nell._

_ I closed my eyes, trying to block them out._

_ “Bruce,” they whispered. “Bruce. Bruce. Bruce.”_

_ My body began to shake._

_ “Bruce. Bruce. Bruce.”_

_ I crashed down onto my knees, clapping my hands to my ears._

_ “Bruce. Bruce. Bruce.”_

_ Tears began to pour down my face. I couldn’t take much more of this._

“Bruce. Bruce? Bruce!”

The illusion shattered and I turned to see Kate walking to me, dressed only in a red nightgown with small black polka dots and black lace. Her red hair was in disarray, and I knew that meant she’d been sleeping. Her normally pale skin was even lighter, probably from cold.

“What are you _doing?” _She grabbed my hand and yanked me away from the doors. “It’s fucking negative twenty degrees out! Do you want to freeze to death, _tipesh?” Idiot._

She only called me an idiot when I did something truly stupid, like take on twenty armed men with a broken arm, or try to blowtorch Scarecrow, or try to go out in public with a beard.

“Honestly,” she muttered as she closed the balcony doors. “You spend every night cheating death, then you go and stand half-naked in front of open doors in the middle of a damn blizzard.”

“Excuse you, I am not half naked.” I gestured to my boxers and old tank top. “I am acceptably covered.

“Yeah, for _summer, _not the middle of motherfucking winter!” Kate dragged her nails through her hair in exasperation. “Remind me again how in God’s name you haven’t died yet?”

“Heaven doesn’t want me, Purgatory can’t keep me, and Hell kicked me out,” I said, grinning.

Kate reached over and pinched my cheek between two nails._“Tipesh. _Come on. Alfred made hot chocolate.”

The nightmare echoing in my head, plus the temptation of Alfred’s hot chocolate, had me following Kate out of my room and through the hallways into the kitchen, where Alfred in his white and blue striped pajamas was stirring a pitcher full of hot chocolate.

He looked up as we approached. “Ah, Mistress Katherine. I see you’ve brought Master Bruce to join us.” Alfred raised an eyebrow at me. “What tempted you out of bed? It’s too early for patrol, and I _know _you weren’t working.”

Kate glanced at me as we both sat down at the kitchen bar. “Yeah, Brucie, _what _on _Earth _made you think standing half-naked out in a blizzard was a good idea?”

I ignored the _Brucie, _as well as Alfred’s exasperated sigh, and considered lying to them. But I decided against it. They would know, plus I knew I needed to get it off my chest.

“I had a nightmare,” I admitted.

“Oh?” Kate accepted a mug of steaming hot chocolate from Alfred as she regarded me curiously. “What kind of nightmare?”

I sighed, staring down at the mug Alfred handed me that I held with both hands. He’d added a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg, my favorite companions to hot chocolate since I was a boy.

Nell had liked her hot chocolate with _exactly _seven marshmallows and two sprinkles of chocolate shavings. How she could stomach that I had no idea, but it was her favorite.

She’d died before she could taste it again.

Swallowing, I made myself meet my cousin’s eyes. “I watched Nell die.”

Kate’s breath caught and Alfred had to close his eyes for a minute. We were all silent while we digested my words. I took the time to rub my eyes, banishing any tears from my face.

“That poor, sweet girl,” Alfred murmured. “She deserved so much better. To die so young…”

“Yeah, well, that’s life,” Kate said nastily. “You win some, you lose some. You adopt a kid. They get assassinated. Shit happens.”

“Mistress Katherine,” Alfred sighed.

“Because, you know, that’s how this works. “The Lord Giveth And The Lord Taketh Away,” right?” She laughed a little hysterically. “It’s all part of God’s plan!”

God’s plan fucking sucks, I thought quietly, but I didn’t say anything out loud. Kate was very serious about her faith, and to besmirch our Lord and Savior’s good name was an insult to said faith.

“Glory hallelujah!” Kate giggled, tears pooling in her eyes. “Praise be! God bless the Earth!”

“Mistress Katherine.” Alfred leaned over and pressed a hand over one of hers. “It’s all right.”

_“No, _it’s _not.” _Kate blinked, and a tear fell down her cheek. “I just _don’t understand. Why _did she have to die? I don’t pretend to know God’s plan, but…shouldn’t her death be for _something?”_

I grasped her other hand and pressed it to my forehead. “I wish I knew,” I said uselessly. “I wish I knew.”

Kate lowered her head, shaking.

Nell had only died six months ago and our family was still reeling from the loss. I had taken to working longer hours, going out far past my scheduled patrol time or getting paperwork done or tinkering in the workshop. Kate dealt with it by being overly sarcastic and loud. Alfred cleaned and cooked until his hands shook. The children—

The children.

“I’m going to go check on everyone,” I announced, releasing Kate’s hand and standing up.

Kate joined me on her feet, wiping her face with her arm. “I’ll come too.”

“As will I,” Alfred agreed. “It is almost time for Master Jason and Mistress Cassandra and Master Damian to come home from patrol.”

And time for Alfred, Kate, and I to come out and play. That didn’t leave much time, so I quickly made my way out of the kitchen and up the stairs, my cousin and father figure in tow.

Despite having a five-floor mansion not counting the basement, everyone chose to sleep on the second floor. I didn’t know why—maybe to keep close to each other. Or perhaps because that was what they were used to, having lived in comparatively smaller homes before coming to live with me.

The first stop was Dick’s room. I pressed the code that would unlock the door—they all had lock codes to their rooms, a feature we’d installed after Barbara’s incident with the Joker. The poor woman was so traumatized she felt the need to lock every door—and peered inside. What I saw drew a smile across my face.

Dick was flopped on his bed, passed out and surrounded by paperwork. Barbara was cuddling up to him, tucked underneath a blanket and clutching a file to her chest like a teddy bear.

Kate chuckled. “Aw, that’s so cute!”

Alfred clicked his tongue. “Those two. I swear, Master Bruce, they are becoming more and more like you every day.”

“Hey.” I mocked a glare at Alfred. “Don’t insult them like that. They at least know when to sleep.”

“Fair enough.”

We closed and locked the door and moved on past Barbara’s room and onto Duke’s.

In order to do that, though, we had to go by Nell’s room too.

We hadn’t disturbed a thing since she died, though Alfred occasionally went in to clean it, like he was hoping she would come home someday. Everything was still there—her clothes, her books, her baseball memorabilia. None of us could bear to disturb it. It felt like dishonoring her memory somehow.

Alfred ran a hand through his graying hair as we passed. “God, that poor child.”

“I know.” Kate leaned against our father figure. “I know.”

I ignored the door entirely and made straight for Duke’s open door.

He was fast asleep on his bed, curled up in a ball—not because of the cold. This was just how he normally slept, tucked in the fetal position with the blankets covering him.

“Glory.” Kate stared at him sadly. “The poor boy. How has he been, Alfred? Bruce? I haven’t seen him much for the past few weeks—has he been getting reclusive?”

“According to Mistress Harper and Mistress Claire, no. He’s simply been busy at his club at school,” Alfred reported. “Last I heard they were planning a trip to the Gotham City Museum of Paleontology.”

“Good. That’s good.” Kate made her way over to Duke’s bed and rested her hand on the crown of his head. “I hate to see him so miserable.”

“We all do.” Alfred clicked his tongue. “Nell was more than his sister, she was his best friend. And to lose her like that, without warning…”

“It was like reliving their deaths all over again,” I murmured, glancing down at my clasped hands. “Every single one of them.”

Alfred’s hand gripped my shoulder, squeezing it firmly.

Kate bent down to kiss Duke on the forehead, then straightened up and walked back toward us. “Let’s go check on Tim. I’m not entirely sure he’s in bed. Or asleep.”

I nodded, feeling weary. _Tim._

We closed the door to Duke’s room and migrated to Tim’s room, where we found him passed out on his desk, his computer still running beside him, Enya playing softly through his speakers.

“For God’s sake, doesn’t that boy know how to sleep?” Kate shook her head, disgusted. “If I hadn’t stitched him up myself, I would think he’s some kind of robot.”

Alfred sighed. “The poor boy hasn’t been right since he quit drinking caffeine.”

After Tim’s coffee addiction had grown too extreme—he’d drank a dozen cups in two hours—the whole family had held a meeting where we tried to talk Tim into quitting caffeine. He’d adamantly refused, and it was only after Kate and Jason and I had started yelling and Stephanie burst into tears and Harper went completely hysterical that he’d agreed.

Tim had quit cold turkey then and there, which proved to be a total disaster. His anxiety had skyrocketed, he slept for over eighteen hours, his tremors had increased to the point where he couldn’t even walk—we’d had to ban him from patrol until he was capable of holding his bo staff without dropping it.

But he’d pulled through, and he was currently on his third month without any kind of coffee, unless he had a secret stash somewhere we hadn’t found. We’d had Ace, Titus, Goliath, and Alfred the cat scour the mansion and they’d come up empty. And our own investigations proved futile as well. The manor was devoid of any kind of caffeine except tea.

Now Tim was dealing with it as best he could. But that still didn’t stop him from working until he dropped.

I sighed and picked Tim up bridal-style and carried him to his bed, where I laid him down as gently as I could. He murmured under his breath as I tucked him in and smoothed the hair back from his head. I left Enya on. Tim _hated _silence. Too much time spent in a quiet house when he was younger, I guess.

Oh, _Tim. _I couldn’t hold back my smile, even as I left his room. Even without his drug of choice, he still insisted on working hard.

“Don’t romanticize this, Bruce,” Kate chided as we walked past Jason, Cassandra, and Damian’s rooms. “Tim’s work habits aren’t exactly healthy, you know.”

“I know, I know.” We’d reached Claire’s room now, and I reached for the door handle. “Think of it as fatherly exasperation.”

“Damn right, Master Bruce,” Alfred muttered as I opened the door to Claire’s room.

To my surprise, Harper was tucked into bed beside a snoozing Claire, one hand carding through her blonde locks. She looked up when she saw us and shrugged. “Claire couldn’t sleep,” she explained. “She was having nightmares about Hank, so I thought I’d keep her company.”

Kate smiled. “How sweet of you.”

Harper shrugged again. “Birds of a feather stick together, right?”

Alfred nodded. “Well said, Mistress Harper.”

Though we were one big family of fifteen, we were broken down into several cliques, five of three each. These three were generally closer to each other than the rest of the family and were also part of the same patrol unit. We’d even come up with nicknames, courtesy of Stephanie and Harper.

Alfred, Kate, and I were the “Traumatized Adults” unit, or Alpha Squad.

Barbara, Dick, and Luke were the “At Least I Had A Somewhat Normal Childhood” unit, also known as Beta Squad.

Helena, Tim, and Stephanie were the “My Parents Sucked” unit, or Delta Squad.

Harper, Duke, and Claire were the “I Had An Awesome Sibling Until They Were Killed” unit, or Theta Squad.

Jason, Cassandra, and Damian were the “Childhood? What Childhood?” unit, or Omega Squad.

Originally, Nell had been in Omega Squad and Duke had been in Beta Squad, but things had changed after her death. Now Duke was the one with a dead sibling and Nell was buried in a grave in our backyard.

God.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to force the image of that small grave out of my mind.

“Now shoo.” Harper waved her hand at us. “I’ve got this covered.”

“You got it,” Kate said, and the three of us left the room.

Helena was next. When I opened the door, I saw her flopped on her bed, her TV blaring a rerun of Hello Megan!

Alfred chuckled. “She always did love that show.”

“It’s a good show.” I turned off the TV, watching as Marie Logan’s smiling face disappeared. “It was awful when she died.”

“Yeah. And her poor kid—losing his mother like that. And to Queen Bee no less!” Kate’s gaze darkened. “Damn woman—remind me why we haven’t taken her out yet?”

“Because we have yet to come up with a conceivable plan to assassinate a dictator and get away with it,” Alfred deadpanned.

“Well when we do, I want to lead the team. I want to make Queen Bitch pay for killing that little boy’s mom,” Kate growled.

“Kate, Queen Bee controls humans, particularly those attracted to women.” I raised an eyebrow at her. “I think you’d be in more trouble than the rest of us.”

“Damn it, you’re right.” Kate kicked the ground. “Man.”

“We can discuss killing her later. Mistress Stephanie and Master Luke await,” Alfred said, gesturing to the door.

I knew what to expect from Stephanie, but I still chuckled when I saw her tangled in her sheets, her mouth hanging open, an arm and a leg dangling off the side of the bed.

Kate snorted. “That never gets old. I should have brought my phone.”

Alfred shook his head. “Honestly, Mistress Katherine, I think we have enough pictures of Mistress Stephanie sleeping to wallpaper the entire Batcave.”

I smiled. “One of my favorites is the one with her legs propped up on the headboard.”

“My personal favorite is the starfish position,” Alfred remarked.

“Ooh, remember that time she fell out of bed and swore so loudly she woke the bats up?” Kate smirked. “That was funny.”

“Poor her.” I shook my head. “All that blackmail material…”

“All of which is being saved for a rainy day, I’m sure. You’re raising a congress of politicians, Master Bruce,” Alfred pointed out.

“I believe the right term is _congress of baboons, _though I guess nowadays there’s no difference.”

Alfred heaved a sigh. “Believe me, Mistress Katherine, there has never been a difference.”

Sharing a collective laugh, we left Stephanie’s room and went to Luke’s. I opened the door—to find his bed empty.

_“Damn it, _Luke,” Kate groaned.

“I’m assuming he’s down in the cave, tinkering with his projects,” Alfred said resignedly.

“Or he’s having a rough night.” I shoved a hand through my hair. “Think he needs a chat?”

“Either that or a stiff drink.”

“Ha-ha.”

The route to the Batcave was etched into my mind to the point where I repeated the steps in my head like I was a tour guide.

Walk down the stairs to the basement to the giant clock. Turn the hands to midnight. Walk down the stairs and no touching the giant dinosaur. Or the penny, that takes _ages _to clean. We hope you enjoy your stay in the Gotham City underground.

My first stop to find Luke would have been the workshop, but even before I reached the bottom of the stairs I heard grunting and the dull sounds of fists into a punching bag. So I went toward the training ring.

Sure enough, Luke was beating the ever-loving tar out of a punching bag, the poor thing barely having time to recover before he was on it again. His face was twisted with rage, but there were tears pouring down his face.

“Luke,” I said.

He ignored me, or maybe he didn’t hear me over the sound of his fists.

“Luke,” I called.

No response. He launched several kicks, whirling around and around.

“Master Lucas,” Alfred tried.

Still nothing. His blows came harder and harder.

Fed up, Kate stepped forward and bellowed, “LUCAS FOX, QUIT THAT SHIT AND ANSWER US, DAMN IT!”

Luke yelped, stumbling over his feet and falling flat on his ass. Groaning, he glared at Kate. “What the Hell, Kate? What’s the big idea? You didn’t have to use your _Drill Sergeant™ _voice on me!”

“Well you weren’t _listening, _and I wanted to get your attention,” Kate retorted.

“All right, fine.” Luke rubbed his face, wiping the tears away. “What do you want?”

“To see if you’re all right, of course.” I knelt down beside him. “You’re crying.”

“Really, I hadn’t noticed,” Luke snarked.

“Master Lucas, we merely want to help you,” Alfred, ever patient, said calmly.

“I…I know,” Luke sighed, running a hand over his head. “I’m sorry, I just…I’m having a rough night.”

“Your family,” I guessed.

“Yeah.” Luke’s hands tightened into fists. “I just…I keep on seeing _them,_you know? I keep on seeing Ma and Pa bleeding out and Tiff choking and Tam being _eaten by rats _and…”

He gagged, his body shaking.

“I know, I know.” I reached out and ran a hand down his back. “It keeps me up at night too. Sometimes I wish I were still on the booze. At least it helped me sleep.”

“Bruce,” Kate said sharply.

“Master Bruce,” Alfred tutted.

I sighed. _“I’m just saying.”_

“No, it’s cool. I got the gist of it.” Luke grinned through watery eyes at me. “Kind of nice to know I’m not alone.”

“Damn right,” Kate muttered. “I _still _get nightmares.”

“We all do, Mistress Katherine.” Alfred rested a hand on her shoulder. “We all do.”

Luke sniffed once. Twice. “I just don’t know if I can go to sleep tonight.”

“Believe me, I understand completely,” I told him. “But you have that meeting with the head of Finance tomorrow, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah…”

“You need to have at least _some_sleep for that, don’t you?”

Luke glared at me. “Please _don’t _do this to me, Bruce. _Please _don’t.”

I sighed again. “Luke, you need to at least _try _to get some sleep. Even if you can’t, just lie there with your eyes closed for a while. Did you take your sleeping medicine?”

He snorted. “Like I’d ever forget?”

“Fair, fair. But could you please try?” I looked him deep in his dark brown eyes. “For me. For your family. You know they wouldn’t want you to be up so late on their account.”

Luke tried to look away for a minute before gritting his teeth around a reluctant, “Fine. But if I have another nightmare, we’re sparring the next time you’re free.”

I smiled at him. “It’s a date.”

He rolled his eyes. “Playboy.” But Luke got off the ground and walked toward the stairs.

Alfred shook his head. “That poor man. He still has so many demons haunting him.”

Kate sucked in her cheeks. “I…sometimes I wish I could just…suck up all his pain…just take it all away from him, you know?”

I knew. And sometimes I wished someone would be strong enough to do the same for the rest of us.

For me.

There came the sound of a mechanical door whirring open, then the familiar near-silent rumble of the Batmobile. Jason, Cassandra, and Damian were apparently done with their patrol.

Kate’s head perked up. “Sounds like the rest of the munchkins are home. Shall we go say hello?”

I shrugged. “Might as well.”

We walked into the Batcave’s control room to find Red Hood, Orphan, and Robin leaning against the computer monitor. Red Hood and Robin were rubbing their exposed hair while Orphan stood perfectly still, as she was wont to do.

“Hey guys,” Kate greeted. “What’s up?”

Red Hood snorted before removing his facemask and goggles. “Not much. Just got done hanging a gang of child traffickers. So, you know, fun.”

“Good job. Did anything else interesting happen?” I asked.

Robin yanked off his domino mask and suddenly it was Damian frowning at nothing. “Only one call for help from Crime Alley. Some random woman was terrorizing this family for money. Todd shot her.”

Jason smirked. “Served her right. Damn bitch was pimping those poor kids.”

“Ugh.” Kate shuddered. “Nasty business. What’d you do with the body?”

“Oh.” Jason jerked a thumb at Orphan, who had pulled off her hood and mask and was watching us with apprehension in her Lazarus lime flecked sepia eyes. “Cass burned the body. Some dudes were getting wasted on a rooftop and had a bonfire going. Didn’t seem to notice when she tossed the body in.” He shook his head. _“Imbéciles.” Morons._

“So a fairly average night,” Alfred summed up.

Cassandra nodded. “Yes.”

“Cool.” Kate reached over and patted Jason on the shoulder. “Good job, _yaladem.” Children._

_“Gracias.” _Jason yawned, running a hand through his hair. “I’m going to hit the shower.” _Thanks._

“Good. You reek,” Damian sneered. “And try _not _to reenact Shakespeare while you’re in there, Todd. If I have to hear a Hamlet monologue _one more time…”_

“I like it,” Cassandra piped up.

“_Thank you, _Cass.” Jason shot a look at Damian. “Why can’t you be nice to me like Cass is, huh _enano?” Midget._

“Probably something to do with the fact that you call me _enano _half the time.” Damian waved a hand. “Get lost, Todd.”

Jason left for the showers, but not before flipping Damian off.

I shook my head in exasperation. Damian had odd ways of expressing his love to his siblings. Some he treated civilly, like Duke and Cassandra and Dick. Others he exchanged verbal blows with, like Jason. But I knew better. Jason was actually one of Damian’s favorite siblings. This was just his way of showing it.

“I suppose I have to shower as well.” Damian sighed in defeat. “Woe. I will have to endure Todd’s scent again.”

“Poor you,” Cassandra told him, a tinge of sarcasm in her voice.

“Hush, Cain,” Damian said half-heartedly. He could never be angry at Cassandra—I couldn’t think of a single family member who could. “You are just lucky that you do not have to shower with him and hear those stupid monologues.”

Cassandra shrugged. “Not that bad.”

“Speak for yourself.” Damian strode in the same direction, tossing a “Good night, _Baba. _Pennyworth. Kane. Cain.” _Father._

“Good night, Master Damian,” Alfred called after him as Damian disappeared around a corner.

“Hey Cass, you going to shower too?” Kate asked.

Cassandra nodded. “Yes. Sticky.”

“Cool. Better hurry up before your brothers hog all the cold water.”

My daughter jerked back. _“No cold water,” _she gasped, her hand going to tug at the white streak in her hair, a trait she shared with Jason and Damian. _“No cold water.”_

_ “Shit.” _Kate held up her hands. “I’m sorry, Cass, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—!”

Cassandra held up a shaking hand. “Fine,” she squeaked, her other hand twisting that white streak around her fingers. “Okay. Go now.”

With that, she scurried away toward the showers.

“Damn it,” Kate cursed. _“Damn it.”_

_ Damn Lazarus Pit._

“It’s not your fault, Mistress Katherine,” Alfred said soothingly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

_“Yes it is.” _Kate buried her head in her hands. “I forgot. _Tipesh. Tipesh, tipesh, tipesh.”_

“It’s all right, Kate.” I reached over and squeezed her other shoulder. “We’re all a little guilty of forgetting their triggers sometimes.”

_“But I shouldn’t,” _Kate wailed.

“Mistress Katherine, Mistress Cassandra knows you didn’t mean to startle her. And you know she would be angry at you for blaming yourself.” Alfred gave her a stern look. “Now go get changed. It’s time for patrol. And if I hear anything about this again, I will turn you over my knee. Understand?”

“But—!” Kate protested.

_“Over my knee, _Mistress Katherine,” he threatened.

Kate’s shoulder’s slumped. “Fine,” she sighed, defeated, before stalking for her private changing room.

I sighed. “This family is a hot mess.”

“Indeed, Master Bruce,” Alfred agreed. “Now, go get dressed. Who knows what the criminals of the city are up to tonight?”

“Good point.” I walked away in the direction of my own private changing room. “Man the monitors?”

“As always,” he called after me.

I nodded as I entered my changing room, closing the door softly behind me.

We all had our own rooms in the Batcave on the off chance there was a real emergency that we all needed to be present for, or if we were too tired to make it to our real rooms. That was also where we kept our uniforms and where we changed so we could all have some privacy.

I stripped out of my tank top and boxers and reached for my uniform, neatly folded on the bed, and trying to ignore the sight of my arm. Though I always kept the lights off while I was changing, I _hated _seeing any of my exposed skin.

I couldn’t bear to look at my ruined body. The rest of my family felt the same. Hence the reason why the manor held next to no mirrors. The ones we did have were locked in the storage rooms deep within the Batcave, wrapped in sheets and trash bags.

Methodically, I began to don my uniform, repeating the steps in my head. For whatever reason, it calmed me.

Pull on the jock and under armor. Put on the suit. Clasp the belt. Tug on the boots. Wrestle the cloak and hood over your head and shoulders. Ta-da, you’re Batman. Go forth and conquer.

Leaving my room, I strode through the cave and—

I couldn’t help it. I _just couldn’t help it. _I turned to look at the holograms.

For every dead body buried in our backyard, we’d erected a holographic statue of each one of them.

Except for Uncle Philip, who we’d buried in the bottom of our pond.

The thought of my horrible uncle was enough to force bile up my throat. I swallowed and tried to force that thought out of my mind.

All of the holograms here were of our fallen in their battle attire. We had plenty of pictures of them in civilian clothing upstairs in the manor proper. This was a tribute to the warriors they had been. I stared at each one.

A pale fifteen-year-old with short black hair, mirthful brown eyes, and silver braces, clad in a proper black tuxedo. _Penny-Two. Julia._

A man clad in thick black armor, a bat helmet covering his face and two mechanical wings protruding from his back. _Batguard. Jim._

A man in red armor and a golden cape, a red facemask obscuring his features and two swords sheathed behind his back. _Azrael. Jean-Paul._

A tall woman in a flowing cat uniform with blood red lips, henna colored skin, and peach goggles, a whip tied around her waist. _Catwoman. Selina._

A flickering image of an ultrasound, the shape of a baby just visible. _Selina and Bette’s almost child. A daughter who would have been called Helena Kane-Kyle._

A small pale fifteen-year-old in an orange-red cat uniform with clear goggles magnifying her bright sky blue eyes and a slingshot tucked into her belt. _Catgirl. Carrie._

A tall bronze-skinned woman with jasmine colored hair in a blue and gold uniform with golden mechanical wings protruding from her back. _Hawkfire. Bette._

A small fourteen-year-old boy in ripped jeans, sneakers, and a shirt that read “Real Men Use The Force” with light brown hair and shining blue eyes. _Mockingbird. Cullen._

A tall man in a slate gray suit and an albino fox mask with no hair and dark umber skin. _Foxtrot. Lucius._

A short woman in a khaki suit with poofy black hair that fell in a halo around her face, dark brown skin, and a black fox mask. _Foxglove. Tanya._

A little eight-year-old girl in a black and pink homemade Batgirl costume with dark brown hair in twin buns and Foxtrot’s dark umber skin. _The future Batgirl. Tiffany._

A tall fourteen-year-old girl with black hair and dark brown skin in a hot pink dress, black leggings, and clunky black combat boots, a red fox mask on her face. _Foxface. Tamara._

A giant clay figure with glowing yellow eyes. _Clayface. Basil._

A hulking seventeen-year-old in a light and navy blue striped uniform with two black G’s inside of a yellow diamond on his chest, dark brown hair on his head. _Gotham Guy. Hank._

A sixteen-year-old girl with sepia skin and braided black hair in a black and purple Batgirl costume. _Batgirl. Nell._

This was our secret shrine, to honor the sacrifices they had made that the world could and would never know about. Only we would know. And only we could continue protecting their legacy.

My eyes were drawn to Nell’s hologram tonight. She was so damned beautiful, her mahogany eyes shining through her mask, her smile bright despite the horrors she had seen in her short lifetime.

She shouldn’t have died that day. She didn’t _deserve _to die that day.

“Batman.”

I turned to see Batwoman walking up to me, her cape swishing behind her. Her expression was somber as she stood at my side, staring at the holograms.

“It’s not fair,” she murmured, gazing at Bette’s face. “It’s just not fair.”

“Is anything ever fair?” I turned away from the holograms. “One of these days one of us will be next.”

Batwoman snorted. “Like God will be merciful enough to let us die. They certainly didn’t let Jason or Cass or Damian stay dead.”

I wasn’t totally sure God had anything to do with that, but I decided not to push the issue.

The comm. link built into my hood gave a crackle. “I have reports of a robbery going on at the bank,” Penny-One’s calm voice said.

Batwoman sighed. “Joy.” She glanced at me. “What do you say, Bats? Ready to butcher some robbers?”

I gave her a vicious smirk as I swept toward the Batmobile. “Let’s go.”


	2. How Do You Go On When Part Of Your Heart Is Gone?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The League is in mourning after a battle with aliens has depleted their ranks and several assassinations have destroyed families.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! Another chapter in two days! I'm on a roll! Please don't expect all updates to be this speedy (LOL) I have no idea what my publishing times will be like.

**Clark**

I stared numbly at the cup of coffee in my hands.

“Are you ever going to drink that?”

Lois was sitting beside me, her black hair pulled back in a ponytail. One of her hands was running up and down my back.

“I feel like chucking it against the wall,” I admitted, setting the cup down on the coffee table in front of Lois’ couch.

“That’s completely understandable, although I must ask that you not do that.”

“Won’t. Promise.”

“Okay.”

We were sitting in Lois’ living room. It was six in the morning. Normally we both would have been heading to work at this hour, but the both of us had taken a leave of absence in light of…certain circumstances.

Lois sighed. “You know, it’s okay if you need to cry. God knows I’ve been doing that enough.”

“I don’t know if I _can _cry anymore.” I ran a hand through my hair, wincing as my fingers caught on the tangles. I hadn’t showered in two weeks. “It’s like all the tears have dried up.”

“Ah.” Lois nodded. “I see. Well if you ever need to cry, just say the word and I’ll be there, okay?”

“Thanks.” I smiled weakly at her. “You know, I know we’re not married, but you are an excellent wife.”

“Thank you.” Lois looked pleased.

A door creaked open and we both looked up to see Chris float into the room, rubbing his eyes. “What’re you two doing up?”

“Nothing, honey,” Lois said gently. “We’re just talking.”

“Is this about Grandma and Grandpa?”

Oh _Rao._

_ Ma._

_ Pa._

I buried my head in my hands.

“Shit, sorry,” I heard Chris say.

“Language, young man,” Lois told him sternly. “Now go back to bed. It’s the weekend and you need some rest.”

“But I want to help—!” Chris protested.

“You can help us both by going back to bed,” I muttered into my palms. _“Please.”_

“But _Clark—!”_

“Go back to bed, Chris. Do you want me to tuck you in?”

_“Mom, _I’m _not _a _kid,” _Chris grumbled. “But _fine, _I’ll go.”

I looked up as Chris floated back to the room he shared with Jon and Connor and Bizarro. “Hard to believe he’s eighteen.”

“He’ll be nineteen in a few months.” Lois sighed. “They grow up so fast.”

“They do.” A familiar pain stabbed at my heart. “Ma and Pa were going to…they were going to throw him a big party…they were going to get him his very own tractor on the farm, like they did…for me…”

Tears began gathering in my eyes. My lips were quivering.

“Oh, _Clark.” _Lois wrapper her arms around my waist and I buried my head in her small shoulder, letting the sobs rattle my bones as I came face-to-face with the ugly truth once more.

_Ma and Pa were dead._

It had all happened so quickly, too quickly. An emergency in space had brought the majority of the Justice League out to fight the latest alien threat. And while we’d been gone…

Ma and Pa…

I wailed weakly into Lois’ shoulder.

The scene would forever be engraved into my mind—their throats had been torn out. They were just lying on the floor, covered in their own blood, their throats spilled all over the floor…

Rao—

I gagged.

Lois had been with me, and Jon. He loved his grandparents. I had just gotten back from space and declared that we were visiting Ma and Pa to celebrate. The rest of the family was elsewhere celebrating, so I’d grabbed Lois and raced Jon to the farmhouse, where—

Where—

“Mom? Dad?”

I looked up to see Jon standing in the entrance to the living room. He looked tired and sad.

“Jonny baby, what are you doing up?” Lois asked.

“Chris woke me. He said something about you two being sad, so I came out to see if I could help.”

Rao bless Jon. He really was a sweet boy, always putting others before himself. I knew it would get him into trouble someday, but I was more than confident that he could take care of himself.

And if not, then he had a super-powered family to back him up.

“We’re okay, Jon,” I said, wiping away my tears.

“Dad, I know when you’re lying.” Jon came over and settled himself between Lois and I. “I don’t want you guys to be sad.”

“Thank you Jonny baby.” Lois pressed a kiss to our son’s head. “We appreciate it. But sometimes you can’t stop people from being sad. Sometimes people need to be sad.”

“That’s stupid,” Jon declared. “No one deserves to be sad. Everyone needs to be happy! That’s how the world should work.”

Oh my sweet Jon. I wrapped him in a hug, tucking his head beneath my chin. Lois joined in, and the three of us snuggled up on the couch.

And for a second, as I held my family in my arms, I felt the misery weighing on my soul abate. Just a little bit.

When I walked into the Watchtower’s Remembrance Room, Kara was already there, curled in the corner in the fetal position, tears streaking down her face.

“Kara?” I asked, going over to sit by her side.

My cousin shook her head. “It isn’t fair, Clark. _It isn’t fair.”_

“I know.” I reached over and rubbed her back. “I know.”

She gestured weakly to all of the holograms. “It isn’t…I mean, just _look _at all of them. How could we have lost them _all?”_

I shook my head. “I just don’t know, Kara.”

Ma and Pa hadn’t been the only ones to die. To everyone’s horror, many of our loved ones had been killed. It was a _massacre, _plain and simple. Add that to the number of people who had been killed in our battle with the aliens and…well. The League had taken a heavy hit.

The sadness hitting me again, I stared at all of the holograms of the people we’d lost. The people we couldn’t protect.

_Rita Farr. Elasti-woman._

_ Steve Dayton. Mento._

_ Niles Caulder. Chief._

_ Cliff Steele. Robotman._

_ Larry Trainor. Negative Man._

_ Martha Kent. Ma._

_ Jonathan Kent. Pa._

_ Karen Starr. Power Girl._

_ Jeremiah Danvers. Kara’s adoptive father._

_ Eliza Danvers. Kara’s adoptive mother._

_ Linda Danvers. Kara’s adoptive sister._

_ John Irons. Steel._

_ Ted Kord. Blue Beetle._

_ Alberto Reyes. Jaime’s father._

_ Bianca Reyes. Jaime’s mother._

_ Milagro Reyes. Jaime’s sister._

_ Eduardo Dorado Senior. Ed’s father._

_ Emily Sung. Element Woman._

_ Paula Nguyen. Artemis Crock’s mother._

_ Barbara Whitmore-Dugan. Courtney’s mother._

_ Pat Dugan. S.T.R.I.P.E._

_ Mike Dugan. Courtney’s stepbrother._

_ Patricia Dugan. Courtney’s half-sister._

_ Victor Vasquez. Billy, Mary, Freddy, and Darla’s adoptive father._

_ Rosa Vasquez. Billy, Mary, Freddy, and Darla’s adoptive mother._

_ Eugene Choi. Super Marvel._

_ Pedro Peña. Marvel Unrivaled._

_ Gregor Markov. Brion and Tara’s brother._

_ Helena Sandsmark. Cassie’s mother._

_ Adeline Kane. Rose’s mother._

_ Grant Wilson. Ravager._

_ Joseph Wilson. Jericho._

_ Silas Stone. Victor’s father._

Rao, there were _so many._

And we’d let them all down.

Kara was staring at Linda’s hologram. She was smiling innocently, like she didn’t have a care in the world. I felt my chest ache when I remembered Kara’s screams when she’d found her dead—throat torn out, same as Ma and Pa.

“Who could _do _such a thing?” Kara asked uselessly. “Why would someone do this? Hell, _how_did those people even know who we are?”

“I don’t know,” I said helplessly. “But I swear, we’ll find out.”

Kara’s face morphed into a glare. “And then we _make them bleed.”_

Normally her words would have bothered me—we usually didn’t kill as a general principle. But this time I agreed with her wholeheartedly. Those responsible for our loved ones’ deaths would pay _dearly._

We’d already extracted our revenge on the aliens who had killed our fellow superheroes. There wasn’t a trace of their army left in this galaxy. Even though it did nothing to heal the gaping hole in our hearts, it gave us—me—a sense of bone-chilling satisfaction of knowing they would feel the weight of their sins against us.

Rao. Rao. _Rao._

Someone walked into the reflection room—Diana. She was in her gleaming armor but missing her usual array of weapons. When she saw us, she came and settled down beside me, her legs stretched out in front of her.

“Hello Kal-El,” she said softly. “Kara Zor-El. I thought I would join you—see how your family was coping with your losses.”

“Not so great,” I admitted. “Everyone’s very…emotional, to say the least. The boys are helping each other, and Mia and Natasha are practically attached at the waist.” I looked at my cousin. “They’ve been staying with you, right?”

“Yeah.” Kara sniffed. “We’re all sleeping together because Nat keeps having nightmares and Mia needs someone to cuddle with.” She gave a watery smile. “It’s actually kind of nice, having someone there who _understands, _you know?”

I did know. That was why I went to Lois, why I held her tight when the tears came. We were best friends, the closest out of everyone in my life, and she was like family. She had loved Ma and Pa as much as I had, was best friends with the Danvers, treated Karen like a daughter. And now with them all gone…

It was all we could do to hold onto each other and let ourselves grieve.

My thumb drew circles around Kara’s spine. She leaned into my touch, smiling gratefully at me.

“I am glad you are all helping each other.” Diana bit her lip. “Better than any of the others, at least.”

Alarms blared in my head. “What do you mean?” I asked, immediately alert. “Has something happened?”

“No, but I fear something might.” Diana shook her head. “The others are…not handling this well.”

I could imagine. So many of them had lost their _whole families. _“Tell me about them,” I said. “Tell me about them all.”

Diana sighed. “It is not going well. Garfield has settled in with M’gann, but she reports that he does nothing but lay in his room watching reruns of Hello Megan! and old Rita Farr movies. Only Perdita can make him eat and sleep, and she has to watch him do it. I fear for what happens when she goes back to Vlatava.”

Poor Garfield. Losing his mother was hard enough, but now his foster parents…at least he had M’gann. “What does Dinah suggest we do?”

“She wants him watched around the clock in case he does something,” Diana told me. “And to video chat Perdita when come night or meal times.”

“A wise strategy.” I nodded. “Hopefully that will work out well. What about the others?”

“Well, Jaime and Eduardo have finished moving in with Jay and Joan and Bart—”

Kara looked up, frowning. “Are you sure Ed and Bart should be living together? I mean, they’re dating and all, but they’re both underage. If they try something—”

“I would not worry about it,” Diana said easily. “Both are smart boys. And Eduardo is very responsible when it comes to Bart. I am certain neither will engage in anything inappropriate before they turn eighteen.”

My cousin muttered something under her breath.

“And how are both boys doing?” I asked.

“As well as can be expected.” Diana smiled. “According to Jay and Joan, Bart hasn’t left them alone. He’s glued to them both day in and day out.”

“Typical Bart.” I couldn’t stop my own smile. “Distractions can help sometimes, but I hope he lets them talk about their feelings.”

“Oh, he does. Joan has walked in on either or both boys crying on Bart’s shoulders.” Diana cocked her head. “He would make an excellent counselor someday.”

“Definitely,” I agreed.

“How’s Jan doing?” Kara asked, looking up. Her bright blue eyes were red around the edges. “I know he and Emily were close.”

Technically Jan Arrah and Emily Sung weren’t really related—he was the last survivor from his home planet Trom and she was an Earthen metahuman—but their powers were similar enough that they got along. Jan thought of Emily as his big sister. He’d even lived with her for a time. And now…

“Jan has moved in with Barry and Iris and Hal,” Diana reported. “Don and Dawn are very pleased to have a new playmate.”

My spine straightened. “That’s a bad idea.”

“Really?” Kara raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“Jon’s told me that Jan has a crush on Dawn,” I said. “I wouldn’t trust him to not pull any stunts with her.”

“Clark, they are young,” Diana soothed. “Dawn is eight and Jan is ten—they both have yet to reach their teenage years. They will not try anything rash. And I have faith in Barry and Iris and Hal to keep them all in check.”

Kara chuckled weakly. “Plus if _Dawn _doesn’t kick his ass and _Don _doesn’t kick his ass and her _parents _don’t kick his ass then we’ve got a long list of people who’ll do it for them.” She sobered up. “But how is _Jan _doing?”

“Iris says he is very quiet,” Diana said, concerned. “He does not laugh any more and only Dawn can get him to smile.”

In spite of my worry of his and Dawn’s actions, I felt a stab of pity for Jan. “Poor boy.”

“Indeed.” Diana sighed again. “At least he is going into a good home.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Kara muttered. “What about the others? What about Artemis Crock? How’s she doing?”

“About as well as can be expected,” Diana told us, running a hand through her hair. “Last I heard she and Will were trying to get ahold of her sister to tell her the news—and to see if she could help them track down the killers.”

“Hmm.” Kara frowned. “I wouldn’t put it past Arty’s father to have something to do with it. Rao only knows he hates his family with a passion.”

I blinked at her. “A man killing his own wife?”

“Oh like that hasn’t happened tons of times,” Kara snapped.

“She has a good point,” Diana mused. “Revenge on an ex-wife is quite common. And with his kill streak, it could very well be possible.”

“Damn assassins.” I rubbed my face with my free hand. “I’ll never understand their politics.”

“I doubt any of us will,” Diana agreed. “But Artemis has an excellent support system. Mia and Cissie have been staying with her and Will just to keep an eye on her.”

“Good, good,” Kara said. “What about Courtney? How’s she coping?”

“Not well, not well at all. She has broken into Ted’s alcohol twice now and drained him dry.”

I winced. “That’s just fantastic. Please tell he he’s wised up and gotten rid of any other liquor he has.”

“He assured me that there is not a drop in his house,” Diana confirmed. “Tatsu has been keeping her company to make sure she does not drink anything else, or _do _anything else, for that matter.”

_“Excellent,” _Kara declared. “Tatsu knows more about this kind of grief than most people. We ought to arrange for her to talk to everyone—maybe she can help some.”

Diana nodded. “I had a similar thought. She should start with Billy and his family—they are taking it particularly hard.”

Oh _Rao. _Billy and Mary and Freddy and Darla were _foster children. _They had found a _home _with the Vasquez family, and to lose them…not to mention two of their siblings…

“How are they?” I asked.

“Grieving. They have moved in with Carter and Shiera—I know Mary is more than capable of taking care of them, but at the moment she is in no state to do so, so we figured it was best that they have proper adult supervision. And Carter and Shiera adore children. You know this. They will take good care of them.”

“Good, very good.” I smiled at the thought of Billy, Mary, Freddy, and Darla with Carter and Shiera. The two were natural parents, and I had faith that the Marvel family would be well taken care of.

“Oh Rao, _Brion,” _Kara gasped, her spine tensing. “How are he and Tara doing?”

“Hera, those poor children.” Diana shook her head. “I just came from Markovia. They are up to their noses in paperwork and absolutely _miserable._Violet and Connor Hawke are staying with them to comfort them and help, but…” Diana’s fists clenched. “Those monsters did not just murder a brother, they murdered a _king. _And now the burden of ruling falls onto his brother and sister.”

I reached over and patted Diana’s shoulder. “You’re doing everything you can, Diana. You’re a _blessing _to Brion and Tara, and I’m more than certain they are grateful for your help.”

Diana’s lips twitched in a brief smile. “Thank you, Kal-El. That means more than you know.”

“Poor Brion and Tara,” Kara murmured. “At least they have each other for support—not to mention their dates.”

Confused, I glanced at my cousin. “Dates? I knew Brion and Violet were dating, but Connor and Tara? Are you _sure?”_

“Yeah!” Kara narrowed her eyes at me. “Haven’t you noticed the way they look at each other?”

“No,” I said honestly. “I thought Tara was asexual.”

“Asexuality does _not _equal unromantic!” Kara shook her head at me. _“Honestly, _Clark.”

“Well _excuse me _for not being up-to-date on modern slang,” I told her.

Diana laughed. “You two are ridiculous.”

“Perhaps,” I acquiesced. “Now, the others.”

“Ah yes.” Diana’s brow furrowed. “Cassie has settled in with Donna and Artemis. They say she will not leave the couch and has been binge-eating ice cream. After this I intend to go check on her, maybe see if I can lure her into the sparring ring.”

I nodded. “Good plan. No better way to blow off steam than with a few rounds in the ring.”

“Thank you.” Diana looked pleased.

“How is Rose doing?” Kara asked. _“Tell me _she hasn’t been hitting the bottle again—or _worse, _the bong.”

“Essence claims she is clean,” Diana said, clearly relieved. “Rose has spent all of her time with Essence—sleeping or eating or who-knows-what. She does not cry, just sits and stares off into space. Essence has said she is tempted to poke her in her eyehole, just to see what would happen.”

I shook my head. “They have the _strangest _relationship I’ve ever seen.”

“Eh.” Kara shrugged. “Romance is romance. Best not to question it.”

“Fair enough. What about…Victor?” I pursed my lips. “I know he was on bad terms with his father…”

“He still lives next to Red—er, John Smith, so he and Kathy and Traya take turns checking in on him.” Diana frowned. “He is…I do not want to say he is not sad, because I know he is. But at the same time he looks…free.”

“To be fair, we can’t really understand Victor’s relationship with his father. We haven’t been in it ourselves,” Kara offered.

Diana nodded at her. “Well said.”

“He needs to go on a date,” I said to myself. “He’s thirty-eight. He needs to get back out there in the world.”

Kara snorted. “Victor Stone on a date? Are you _kidding _me?”

“I heard he used to be quite the ladies’ man back before his transformation,” Diana ruminated. “It is possible.”

“Back _then, _maybe. But now?” Kara shook her head. “He’s so socially awkward. He can barely talk to Kori without stuttering—what makes you think he has the self-confidence to date someone?”

“Fair point,” I concurred.

“I remember when Linda got her first boyfriend,” Kara murmured, a wistful smile on her face. “She was so nervous—kept asking if her tie was straight or whatever. She wound up dumping him in two weeks—she was a _side chick. _Can you _believe _it? _Linda, _a _side chick._I t’s _ridiculous.”_

Kara giggled, which turned into frantic gasping, which turned into sobbing as she buried her head in her arms again. I pulled her to me and held her, tucking her head beneath my chin.

“It isn’t fair,” Kara whimpered. _“It isn’t fair.”_

“I know,” I murmured. Tears began to fall from my own eyes as the hole in my heart where my loved ones should have been _ached. _“I know.”

On my other side, Diana made a sad noise and wrapped her arms around me, stroking my hair comfortingly. “I am sorry,” she whispered. “I am so, so very sorry.”

Me too, I thought as I sat there, caught between my cousin and my friend.

_Me too._

“Clark?”

I looked up from my computer to see Connor standing in front of me holding the house phone. “Yes Connor?”

Connor held out the phone. “It’s Barry.”

“Ah.” I smiled and accepted the phone. “Thank you.”

My clone nodded before retreating to his room.

Holding the phone to my ear, I put on my best Superman voice and said, “Hey, Barry. Is something wrong?”

“Cut the bullshit, Clark, we all know you’re miserable.” Instead of Barry’s voice it was Hal’s, ringing in the background and slightly slurred. Was he drunk?

“Sorry about him.” Ah, _there’s _Barry’s voice, and honestly he didn’t sound that much better. “We’re calling to invite you to get rip-roaring drunk with us.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Barry, I can’t get drunk. And neither can you.”

“You clearly underestimate Guy’s bartending capabilities,” Barry chuckled. “I’ve been doing rocket fuel shots with Victor and Guy’s mixed up some Kryptonite cocktails. All the boys are here. You game?”

Hmm. To go drinking or not to go drinking? It was probably grossly irresponsible of me, not to mention a bad example for my children. But honestly…

My chest panged sharply.

A drink sounded really good right now.

“I’ll be right over,” I told him.

“That’s my buddy. All right, see you then.”

“See you.” I hung up and sighed, tossing the phone onto the couch beside me.

What had I just gotten myself into?

“Who was that?” Lois asked, coming into the room, her hair wet from her bath.

“Barry and the others want me to go get drunk with them,” I mumbled, closing my computer and setting it on the coffee table. “And I told them I would.”

“Good.”

I looked up at Lois, shocked. “Come again?”

“You need something to take your mind off of things.”

“I’ve been working,” I tried.

“Bullshit. You haven’t gotten a single word typed since you opened your computer two hours ago.”

How did she know me so well?

I sighed, letting my head hang. “Fine. But I don’t know if getting drunk is the best idea.”

“Who said you had to get drunk?” Lois rolled her eyes. _“Honestly, _Clark. Go, have a drink or two, then leave. Just because you’re going drinking doesn’t automatically mean you go crazy.”

“Will you marry me?” I asked her, half-serious.

Lois snorted. “Sure, when you get a sex change.”

“Touché.” I stood up, stretching. “All right, I’ll go. Be back in an hour?”

“Why are you asking me? I’m not the boss of you.”

“You might as well be.” I started for the door. “See you.”

“See you.”

“There he is! My man!” Hal slung an arm around my shoulders as I took a seat at Guy’s bar. The place was empty except for the Justice League’s male members as well as three out of four of Earth’s Green Lanterns. “Ready to lose your mind?”

“I’m only here for one drink,” I said sternly. “Two at the most. Nothing more.”

_“Ugh, _you _spoilsport!” _Guy groaned from behind the bar. “And here I was looking forward to watching you do karaoke.”

“The last time I’d gotten drunk, I’d apparently acquired a blond wig and sang a Sam Smith song on top of the bar. Diana had taken pictures and sent them to the _entire League. _Lois hadn’t stopped laughing at me for a month.

“Well, better make the most of it.” Barry slammed a wine glass full of a yellow liquid tinged with Kryptonite green in front of me. “Drink up, Superman!”

“Yes sir.” I sipped at the drink, wincing as the mixture of Merlot and liquid Kryptonite immediately dulled my senses. “Rao, I feel like such a wreck.”

“You’re not the only one,” Ted called from a few seats away. He had _a whole bottle _of Kendall Jackson in his hand and was taking small gulps at random intervals. “If I hear Courtney crying _one more time _I swear my heart’s going to break in two.”

“How’s she doing?” Victor asked, downing a shot of what I assumed was rocket fuel, the only thing that could get him drunk.

“Awful. I’m glad I had the sense to chuck all my liquor. Otherwise I think she’d have drunk herself to death by now. That seemed to be her goal.” Ted hiccupped. “Tatsu’s with her right now. I think they’re getting mani-pedis.”

Guy raised an eyebrow. “Tatsu? Getting a mani-pedi? Are you _sure?”_

“She likes her nails razor-sharp.” Ted took a swig. “Also she can get them painted to match her mask.”

“Stylish.” J’onn glanced at his own nails. “Perhaps I need a mani-pedi. M’gann seems to like them enough.”

“Iris drags Barry and I to get them every once in a while.” Hal took a thoughtful drink of his Bud Light—ew, beer. “Got to say, they’re really nice.”

Oliver snickered. “What, do you go clothes-shopping together too?”

“Of course,” Barry said, completely straight-faced. “How else could Iris and I keep Hal dressed stylishly? Plus, we can get matching outfits.”

Hal pointed his beer bottle at his husband. “See? It works out for all of us.”

Augustus shook his head. “I will never understand human customs.”

“I concur.” John Smith took a sip of rocket fuel.

“I’m surprised Billy isn’t here,” Oliver remarked from the far wall where he nursed a glass of Bourbon. “I’d have thought a situation like this would drive the kid to drink.”

“You know the boy has no taste for alcohol.” Carter pointed a long, slim finger at Oliver. “And I will be damned if I let any of the children drink before they are of age.”

“How are they doing?” Jefferson asked.

“Not well.” Carter glanced at his feet. “They refuse to change back to their child forms. Or sleep. They have just been floating around the house, on constant patrol. Every once in a while one of them breaks down and they all cuddle on the roof. It is near impossible to get them to stop. I fear I will have to resort to physical assault just to knock some sense into them.” He glanced at Oliver. “Could you have Dinah come over and help Shiera and I talk some sense into them?”

Oliver already had his phone out. “I’m texting her right now. She’ll be happy to help—she hasn’t talked about anything else since we came back from space.”

Come back from space—

The weight of the past two weeks hit me like an asteroid to the head and I picked up my glass, downing the concoction in one gulp, wincing as my head spun and my vision swam.

Guy toasted me with his beer mug. “That’s the spirit, Clark.”

“This is a fucking _disaster,” _Nathaniel mumbled, chugging from his own mug. “We’ve taken heavy hits before—_God _knows we have—but _this _is absolute _bullshit.”_

“I agree,” John Stewart sighed. He didn’t have a drink in front of him—the only one of us who never imbibed for what I assumed were personal reasons. “We have lost much. A true pity that their loved ones never got the chance to say goodbye to them.”

“True.” Hal’s face darkened. “But it’s not too late to avenge them.” He looked at Victor. “Have you had any luck finding who killed the others? We already banished the aliens, but the civilian families had nothing to do with them. Can you figure out who did this?”

Victor shook his head, throwing back another shot. “I’ve got nothing so far. They left no fingerprints and the wounds weren’t done by any human.” He slammed the shot glass down on the bar counter with a thud. “If I had to take a guess, it’d be the League of Shadows, the League of Assassins, or the Light—it was definitely a group effort.”

Augustus clicked his tongue. “They must have been done simultaneously so that they had no time to warn each other.”

_Rao._

The _idea _of Ma and Pa screaming for me when I would never come in time—

“Pour me another glass,” I commanded, pushing mine toward Guy.

“Now _that’s _more like it.” Guy pulled out a pitcher of his Merlot-Kryptonite drink and poured a generous amount in. “Have at it, buddy.”

“I’m confused, though—why didn’t they go after the rest of our families?” Barry mused. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m _beyond _grateful for it, but some of us had defenseless families! They’d make the _perfect _targets! Why not take _them _out?”

That was an excellent question. I considered it as I sipped from my glass, trying to ignore the way my senses seemed to dull with every wave of liquid. When I had left for space I’d taken my whole family save Lois and Jon, Lois for obvious reasons and Jon because he was too young—our general rule was that you had to be thirteen or older to begin official training. As far as targets went, they were sitting ducks.

So why hadn’t _they _been attacked?

“Maybe it was because they had super-powers?” Nathaniel suggested. “Think about it—the Danvers and the Reyes and the Dugan families didn’t have superpowers—not counting Kara and Jaime and Courtney, they were perfectly normal. Helena, Eduardo, Adeline, and the Vasquez couple had no defenses with their children off in space—they were completely vulnerable. But families with meta-kids _with _them—like Iris and Lois—were left alone, and even those with regular kids—like Kathy and Mal and Karen—weren’t touched. Why?”

We were all silent for a minute, trying to puzzle out this mystery.

It was John Smith who finally said dully, “You do not get rid of what you want to acquire in the future.”

The spit in my mouth dried up.

“Oh Ra.” Carter sounded like he was going to be sick; I couldn’t blame him. “You think they want our children for _themselves?”_

“It makes sense.” Jefferson rubbed his head. “An army of meta and non-meta warriors that the Justice League won’t touch? I know I’d go for it if I were them.”

J’onn mumbled curse words in Martian under his breath. Augustus’ hands were clenched into fists. Even Guy, usually the cheeriest among us, looked horrified.

_“No.” _Hal slammed her beer bottle down on the countertop and looked up at us. His eyes were burning with a furious green light. “I don’t care _what _I have to do or _who _I have to hurt, _I will not let these bastards hurt my family.”_

Barry reached over and grasped his husband’s hand. “None of us will.”

I nodded fiercely. I would _gladly _sell my soul if it meant keeping Jon and Lois safe, along with the rest of our mismatched super family.

“Then we must be on constant alert,” John Stewart said firmly, pounding his fist into his thigh. “We keep a close watch on all of our loved ones.” He pointed at Victor. “You keep searching for any signs of who did this. The _second _you find them, let us know.”

Victor nodded. “Will do, boss.”

“It’s settled, then.” Nathaniel met our gazes one by one, his metallic eyes blazing. “We’re on the hunt.”

We all held up our glasses and mugs and bottles. “Cheers,” we murmured unanimously, then took a drink.

I closed my eyes as the liquid hit my throat.

My parents’ smiling faces flickered before my eyes.

_Ma. Pa._

Karen’s confident swagger as she strode about the Watchtower.

_Karen._

I bit my lip.

I would avenge them, I swore to myself. I would avenge them and destroy their killers through whatever means necessary.

Even if I had to damn my soul to the pits of Hell to do so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell at me on Tumblr! Also, I don't own these characters (I wish) and this work is MINE.


	3. Grief Hits The Heart Like A Knife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaldur gets to babysit and discuss conspiracy theories with his friend, all in one trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KALDUR MY BABY I FINALLY GET TO WRITE YOU! I am super excited to be writing my fave—one of them, anyway. Let me know what you think!

**Kaldur’ahm**

“Kaldur, Kaldur, Kaldur!”

I glanced up from the documents on my desk. “What is it, my prince?”

Artur was standing to the side, fidgeting. He had grown to be at least seven centimeters shorter than me and had gained much muscle to the point where he almost resembled Connor Kent. But he still had his babyish cheeks and wide blue eyes, so like his mother’s.

“I want to go and see Lian,” he declared.

“Do you now?” I raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”

“What do you mean _and why is that?” _Artur looked at me like I was an imbecile. “Her grandmother just died and she is obviously in distress. I want to go see her. And besides, I have a present for her.”

From behind his back, Artur produced a small necklace gleaming with ivory and black pearls. “I bought it from Mother’s jeweler,” he said proudly. “You know Lian loves the color black.”

“That she does.” I stood from my seat. “I suppose we can go and visit her.”

“Excellent!” Artur cheered. “I will be waiting by the Zeta Tube—and do hurry, I want to be there in time for breakfast.”

“All right, all right,” I chuckled. “Just let me bring these documents to your uncle and we can be on our way.”

Artur nodded before swimming away.

Gathering said documents in my hands, I made my way out of my personal office and toward Prince Orm’s quarters. While it was my duty as the King’s Hand to oversee a great deal of royal documents for King Arthur, I preferred to run my work by Prince Orm first.

After all, he had _far _more experience with this sort of thing than I did.

As I swam through the coral-marbled corridors of King Arthur’s castle, I caught a glimpse of three familiar figures—a hulking male, a slimmer male, and a finned male.

“Garth,” I called out. “La’gaan! Wyynde!”

La’gaan turned around and grinned when he caught sight of me. “Ah, Kaldur’_ahm!”_

I clasped his arm, grinning at the familiar feel of his scales against my own skin.

“Well, if it isn’t the King’s Hand himself!” Garth rested an arm on my shoulder, leaning into me. “How goes your royal duties?”

“Slowly,” I told him. “But I have been making progress. We sorted out the trade policies with the Fisherman Kingdom and King Nereus of Xebel is no longer insisting on an export tax on shellfish. There is still the rehabilitation plan to discuss, not to mention Queen Mera’s plans to expand our education system—”

“Neptune’s beard! I think you need a vacation,” La’gaan remarked.

“You always did work yourself too hard.”

I flashed a smile at Wyynde, who was eyeing me critically. “I know, and I am sorry. Force of habit and all.”

“Moron.” But Wyynde looked fond as he said it.

“Have you finished for the day?” Garth nodded at the documents in my hands. “We were planning on going to see the jousting tournament in between us and Xebel. Would you like to come?”

“It is going to be so crash!” La’gaan crowed. “Those Xebel heathens will not know what hit them!”

“As much as I would love to—” I did not. I _hated _jousting tournaments. They bored me to no end. “—I must decline. Prince Artur has asked me to accompany him to the Human World to comfort Lian.”

Everyone’s faces immediately fell.

“Yes, by all means. Go.” Wyynde nodded urgently. “Heaven knows the poor girl needs all of the comfort in the world.”

“Here, let me take these to Prince Orm.” Garth took the documents from me. “You go. Send our love to Lian.”

“And Artemis!” La’gaan put in. “Please give her lots of hugs for us!”

“I will.” I smiled at them all. “Thank you. I will see you all soon.”

“Go with the speed of Hermes,” Garth called after me as I swam away.

“Hey Kaldur?”

“Yes my prince?” I had to bite my lip to keep from cursing as another driver cut me off. I _despised _traffic in Star City. “What is it?”

“Why are you and Wyynde still friends?”

I glanced at Artur in the rearview mirror. “Why would we not be?”

“Well…” Artur shifted in his seat. “I mean, you two used to date, right? Then you broke up. Should you not now hate each other?”

“That is not quite how it works, my prince.” I looked back at the road. “Friendship is the key to a good relationship. Wyynde and I became friends before we began a romantic relationship.”

“But why did you break up?” Artur pressed.

I pursed my lips. “We realized that we were better off friends.”

“Oh. Huh.” I heard the sound of Artur blowing his bangs away from his face. “I do not understand how that works.”

“It is a mystery to me as well.”

Truth be told, I mused as I turned into the neighborhood where Lian and her family resided, the breakup had not been entirely mutual. Wyynde had been convinced we could work things out. But I knew that in the end, we were not meant to function in a romantic relationship.

Perhaps I had known that from the very beginning but had been too naïve to realize it.

Who knew?

I huffed a breath.

Relationships were complicated.

“We are here!” Artur nearly shrieked as I pulled up on the curb in front of Lian’s house—well, Will Harper’s house. “Come on, come on!”

“All right, hold your seahorses!” I chuckled, unbuckling my seatbelt and exiting the car.

“I am not a child,” Artur snapped as he slammed his door shut. His fingers worried at the necklace. “Do you think she will like it?”

“You know her better than me,” I pointed out.

“She will like it,” he decided.

We walked up to the front door. It was about eight-thirty in the morning, so the sun was not shining directly in our faces, but Artur and I still breathed a sigh of relief when we reached the shade of the porch.

Before I could knock, the door flew open and I was face-to-face with an exhausted-looking Will Harper.

“If you’re here about a mission,” he said before I could open my mouth, “the answer is no. I’ve been up all night for four nights straight and the coffee is _not _helping.”

“Be at ease, my friend.” I rested my hand on his shaking shoulder. “We are only here for breakfast.”

“And to see Lian,” Artur chimed in.

“Cool.” Will jerked his thumb behind him. “We’re all in the kitchen. Hope you like Poptarts, because that’s about all we’ve got right now.”

I glanced at Artur, who shrugged. “That works,” I told Will.

“Great.”

Will ushered us through the door and into the kitchen, where Artemis, Mia, Cissie, and Lian were settled at the table munching on various flavors of Poptarts.

“Lian!” Artur swept right for his friend.

Lian looked blankly up at him. Her eyes were rimmed red and there were tear tracks down her face, but she still smiled weakly at Artur. “Hey, Art.” She was one of the few who could get away with calling him Art. “What’s up?”

“I brought you a present.” Artur held up the necklace. The black pearls sparkled in the light. “I hope you like it.”

“Thanks, Art. It’s…it’s beautiful…” Lian sniffled, then threw herself at Artur with a wail. He caught her and held her close, running his fingers through her hair as she sobbed.

“Oh, shoot. Lian—” Will made to move forward but tripped over his own feet and almost sprawled flat on his face.

I caught him, letting him lean against my shoulder. “You are tired, my friend,” I told him gently. “You need to rest.”

“No, I have to be here. Lian…Arty…” Will protested as I led him out of the kitchen and up the stairs to his bedroom.

“Will, you are exhausted. How are you going to support your family if you can barely keep on your feet?”

We stopped outside of his room and I turned to look at him. “And have you even allowed yourself time to grieve? I know you loved Paula too.”

“No, I…” Will sniffled, wiping his eyes with the back of one hand. “It’s just that I…she was like another mother to me, and I…”

I wrapped my old friend in a hug and let him sob into my shoulder, stroking his spine.

It was never really fair to the parents, I thought to myself. They had to do all of the comforting while they tried to keep themselves from falling apart. Who would be there for _them?_

Will pulled away from me. His eyes were rimmed with red. “I just…I need to…Lian and Arty, they need me…”

“But I am here now,” I told him, grasping his shoulders firmly. “And so is Artur. Let us handle things for a little while. You need _rest, _my friend.”

“Okay,” Will mumbled, bowing his head. “Okay.”

“Good.”

I guided him into his room and onto his bed, tucking him in. I drew the curtains shut, plunging the room into darkness.

“Sweet dreams,” I murmured to him. But Will was already fast asleep.

Closing the door, I went back downstairs to find everyone else in the living room. Artur was settled on the couch, Lian leaning against his side, and they were channel surfing. Artemis, Mia, and Cissie were seated against the opposite wall, Artemis squished between the other two girls.

“My friend,” I said, coming to crouch in front of Artemis. “How do you feel?”

“Awful,” my former teammate sighed. There were dark circles under her eyes. “I can’t sleep and it’s hard to eat anything because I…I keep seeing—_Mẹ _just lying there, bleeding out—!” _Mom._

Artemis gagged, her whole body trembling.

Reaching over, I gathered her in my arms, tucking her head in the crook of my neck. She did not cry, just sighed and hugged me back.

“Is it wrong?” she asked me. “Is it wrong to miss her when she was missing from my life for so long? I mean—she was in jail for _years, _and I never got to see her—but it still _hurts. _She _let _my dad train my sister and I to do those _things, _and never batted an eye—but when she came back from prison, she was _different. _She _cared. _And it was _good. _She _supported _me when I fought crime—even now, when I’m earning my doctorate. And now…”

“It will hurt,” I tried, though I had no idea about such things. “She was your mother, and you loved her. And she loved you—you were her pride and joy.”

“In another life, we might have hated each other,” Artemis murmured contemplatively. “I mean—she was an _assassin. _And I…a part of me _hates _her for it. She killed _people, _Kaldur. _People. _People with _lives, dreams, families. _How—how can I still love her after all that?”

I had no answer to that.

“And now she’s gone.” Artemis sniffled. “No warning, just _bam. Gone. _I didn’t even get to say _goodbye.”_

“I am sorry, Artemis,” I murmured into her hair. “I am so very sorry.”

Artemis laughed hysterically. “Is this _karma? _Is this, I don’t know, the gods’ sick version of _justice? _A murderer gets murdered? Call this _revenge? _It’s _disgusting _and _awful _and probably what she deserves _anyway.”_

“Hey, hey shh.” Mia gripped Artemis’ shoulders and Cissie placed a hand on her back. “This isn’t karma,” Mia continued softly. “Whatever it is, it isn’t karma.”

_“Then what is it?” _Artemis asked shakily. “Riddle me _that, _huh? If this wasn’t karma, then _what is it?”_

I exchanged glances with Mia and Cissie. Both of them shrugged.

“I wish I knew,” I told her helplessly, wincing as I felt tears splashing onto my skin. “I wish I knew.”

An hour later, we were still sitting there, only now Artemis’ head was in my lap and I was fiddling with her hair. Mia and Cissie were sitting back-to-back, the former on her phone and the latter thumbing through a ridiculously thick textbook. Artur and Lian had gone downstairs to the pool in the basement to play with Artur’s water animals.

“This is _disgusting,” _Mia muttered under her breath.

Artemis looked up. “What’s disgusting?”

“This!” Mia thrust her phone in our direction. “I was looking up murder statistics—”

Cissie raised an eyebrow. “Why were you looking up _murder statistics?”_

“I was looking up prostitution statistics and it kind of snowballed from there.”

“Goodness.” I wrinkled my nose. “You have quite the morbid interest in this sort of thing.”

Mia shrugged. “It’s cathartic. Anyway, I was looking up murder statistics and I came across a list of the cities with the highest murder rate in the USA, and _guess _who was at the top of the list.”

“Gotham,” Artemis and Cissie said simultaneously.

“Gotham,” Mia confirmed.

“I fear I do not follow,” I admitted. “What is so unsurprising about this?”

“Gotham is literally the most terrifying city in the States,” Artemis explained. “Not only are the villains insane, the _people _are insane. I lived there with my mom about a year before we moved here and _God,_I cannot _describe _the _shit _I saw.”

“But what makes the people so insane?”

“Let me put it to you this way.” Cissie looked me in the eyes. “They carry around gas masks—all day, every day. Once when Ollie attended a gala there, he brought me along and I saw a fistfight break out between a Metropolis rich man and a Gothamite because the rich man spat at her.”

_“Her?” _I raised an eyebrow. “It was a woman?”

“No, it was a ten-year-old girl,” Cissie deadpanned. “And she _won. _Point is, they’re all crazy, and even crazier for _staying. _I swear, the only bright spots the city has are—” Cissie lowered her voice _“—the Waynes.”_

Artemis and Mia gasped dramatically.

I frowned. “The Waynes? Who are the Waynes?”

“Only Ollie’s most hated enemies—as civilians, that is,” Mia amended. “Bruce Wayne runs Wayne Enterprises, the most eco-friendly, advanced technology business in the industry. Ollie’s super pissed that Wayne’s more successful than he is.” Mia paused. “And _way _hotter.”

_That _caught my attention. Oliver was quite handsome—my professional opinion—and it was hard to imagine anyone better looking.

“Enough about Wayne! The point is, the place is a shit-show, and anyone who stays there is crazier than half of the villains we’ve ever faced _combined,” _Artemis concluded.

“All right, all right, point received.” I held up my hands in surrender. “Now, about the disgusting part.”

“Right. Well, I saw the chart and said what the Hell and looked up the most recent murders in Gotham—and I got _these.” _Mia shook her phone for emphasis.

Squinting, I peered at the screen—and let out a strangled gag.

By the gods, those images were _horrifying._

The image was split between two pictures, one of a single body, the other of a cluster of them. And both pictures _definitely _qualified as disgusting.

The single body was in…it was _in pieces. _The head, arms, and legs had been cut off and were lying beside the torso. The entire thing—_person_—had been burned down to the bone.

The bodies in the other picture were _mostly _in one piece—emphasis on _mostly. _They were naked and their genitals were missing—all of them were men. They were hanging from a light pole, the nooses made from…what _were _those things?

“Oh my _God.” _Cissie looked like she was going to be sick. “Are those _bondage restraints?”_

Ah. Ew.

And to use them as _nooses—_

“Can I…” Artemis swallowed. “Can I get context for those two photos?”

“Sure.” Mia glanced at her phone. “Says the mutilated lady was a pimp who sold children in exchange for goods—money for her, food for the kids. And the people were child traffickers.” She winced. “Yeesh. Now _that’s _karma.”

Gods above.

“Since when is this _karma?” _Cissie spluttered. _“Justice? _This isn’t justice, this is cold-hearted _revenge.”_

“Someone certainly seems bent on playing executioner,” I agreed, shuddering. “But this is not just revenge, this is…_rage.”_

“You can say that again.” Artemis bit her lip. “How _awful.”_

Mia’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it—and swore so loudly that Artemis shushed her. “Artur and Lian might hear you!” she hissed.

“Oh, like they haven’t heard anything like this before!” Mia huffed. “There’s been another murder in Gotham!”

I raised an eyebrow. “That was fast.”

“It happened last night,” Mia read. “A couple of gang members were robbing a bank around midnight—no one was there, so no one got hurt, but this morning they were found dead behind the front desk—oh, that is just _gross—”_

She showed us her phone and I had to swallow back bile because _gods above, _that was _foul._

They were tied together, back-to-back-to-back. Their torsos had been slit, their intestines spilling out onto the ground. And, for _whatever _reason, a gold bar had been shoved down each of their mouths.

_“Mẹ của Chúa,” _Artemis muttered, squeezing her eyes shut. I stroked her hair away from her eyes in an attempt to comfort her. _Mother of God._

“Jesus, that’s disgusting.” Cissie waved a hand. “Put that away, Mia, I can’t look at it anymore.”

“You got it.” Mia dropped her phone.

Gods. I shook my head, trying to force the images out of my mind.

How could someone _do _something like this to another person? I understood revenge—_gods _did I—but this was absolutely _ludicrous. _Such savagery…such anger…

It almost reminded me of…

“Wait!” Artemis shrieked, jolting upright. “Do you think the murders in Gotham City are connected to our families’ deaths?”

“Oh my _God, _that actually _makes sense,” _Mia gasped. “Think about it—it could work.”

The gears began to turn in my head—agreements and disagreements, arguments and counterarguments. “But what does this _mean?” _I asked no one in particular.

Cissie pointed at Mia. “Call Ollie. Have him get the gang over here ASAP. We need to follow this through.”

Mia was already dialing Oliver’s number. “On it.”

“What does this _mean?” _Artemis whispered, looking at me with worried eyes. “What’s going _on _here?”

I rested my hand on her shoulder. “I do not know,” I said honestly. “But we have a lead now. And we will follow it through.”

And hopefully it will get us somewhere, I did not add.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who are confused about anyone's sexuality or who I'm shipping, check out my Tumblr @delusionallunatic3791. That should clear some things up. Let me know how I'm doing!


	4. A Shadow Is Chasing Me—Or Am I Chasing A Shadow?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason's world is full of shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY JAYBIRD MY OTHER BABY I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! I AM SO EXCITED TO WRITE YOU!
> 
> Warning: This chapter contains schizophrenic elements. It may not be a totally accurate portrayal and for that I apologize, but two things to keep in mind are:
> 
> a) This is my first time writing a character like this  
and  
b) This mental illness isn't all that it seems
> 
> Hope you enjoy anyway!

**Jason Todd**

I heard a few clicks before Babs picked up her phone. “Hey, Jay. I’m about to go to a meeting—is something wrong?”

“Yeah.” I stared blankly at the yogurt selections in front of me. “There’s a person that’s been tailing me since I got in the store and I can’t tell if they’re real or not.”

_“Sìol. _Okay, okay, I’m here.” There came the sound of a closing door, the clicking of a lock, then Babs’ voice was back. “I’m alone. Tell me about them. What did they look like?” _Shit._

“Um…” I glanced behind me. Sure enough, the person was hiding behind a shelf of Doritos. Their snakelike tongue flicked out and licked the shelf in front of it—ew.

That pulled a chuckle out of me. I mean, _me, _a murderous vigilante who regularly spilled peoples’ insides all over Gotham City, was grossed out by a possible hallucination licking a shelf.

“Uh, Jay?” Babs sounded nervous. “What’re you laughing at?”

Oh, right, I was on the phone. “Nothing,” I told her. “Just irony. And I can’t see their face, they’re all in shadow. Except for the tongue—it’s like a snake’s tongue. It’s licking the shelf.”

Babs sighed with relief. “Okay, okay. Jason, it’s just another hallucination.”

“You sure?” I squinted at the figure. “Looks pretty real to me.”

“Well _no shit,” _Babs deadpanned. _“Really, _Jason. All right, I’m hacking into the security cameras—uh, where are you?”

“Wal-Mart. Haversham Street.”

“Ew, seriously?” I could practically _see _Babs wrinkling her nose. “I thought you _hated _that Wal-Mart. You swore you’d never go back after that lemonade fiasco—why are you there now?”

“Closest grocery store. Alfred needed buttermilk for his cinnamon chocolate cake.” I eyed the shadowy person, who was now sucking on the edge of a Dorito bag. “And besides, that random-ass soccer mom isn’t even here—it’s _her _I have a problem with. And if I recall correctly, I swore I would never walk into a store _with her in it.”_

“Honestly, mood,” Babs muttered. “Crazy lady. All right, where are you?”

“Dairy isle. In front of the yogurts.”

“All right, I see you.” A clicking sound, then Babs huffed out a laugh. “Okay, I’ve got good news and bad news. You _are _and _aren’t _hallucinating.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And that means…?”

“There _is _someone hiding behind the Dorito shelves, but it’s _not _a shadow with a snake tongue.”

“Then who is it?”

“Vicki Vale.”

_Mierda. Shit._

“Not _her,” _I groaned, making sure to project my voice so the shadow person/Vicki Vale could hear me. “What’s she doing here?”

“Probably trying to get a good shot of your Thighs™. I hear there used to be an entire collection dedicated to them on PornHub.”

_“What!” _My other eyebrow shot up. “Wait, why are _you _on _PornHub?”_

“Because I love masturbating to the sight of your beautiful Thighs™,” Babs snarked. “To make sure no one posts anything about _us, amadan. _You would not _believe _the amount of times I’ve found pictures of _Dami _on there.” _Idiot._

_“Hijos de puta,” _I growled. “Have you found _any _way to permanently shut that place down?” _Sons of bitches._

_“No,” _Babs groaned. “It’s killing me.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll get it eventually.” I shook my head. “All right, I think I’m good now. I just have to try not to accidentally murder a reporter. Thanks, Babs. I owe you one.”

“Don’t mention it,” Babs said warmly. “You sure you’re going to be all right?”

“Probably not, but I’ll manage. All I have to do is vacate the premises, then I should be good. Now shoo, go to your meeting,” I ordered. “Tear those rookies a new one, got it?”

_“Jay, _I’m not going to terrorize newbies. What kind of monster do you think I am?” Barbara gasped.

“Hey, _you _terrorized _me _when _I _joined the family!” I retorted.

_“That _was out of _love.”_

_“Sure. _Now better leave.” I watched as the shadow-person-who-was-really-Vicki-Vale approached me, tongue flicking out. “The Vicked Vitch of the Vest is coming.”

“Yikes. Good lick, Jay.” Babs blew me a kiss. “Love you. Bye.”

“Love you too. _Adios.” _I tapped my earpiece to hang up, then looked the shadow-person-who-was-Vicki-Vale in the eyes—or, where her eyes _should _have been. _Goodbye._

“Hello, figment of my imagination,” I greeted halfway pleasantly. “How are you today?”

The shadow-person-who-was-Vicki-Vale hissed unintelligibly, that snakelike tongue flicking out and licking me on the nose. I tried not to flinch as I felt that slippery tongue, so unlike those of Dami’s various pets, brush my skin.

“Well, that’s lovely,” I said, fighting to keep the panic out of my voice. “Have a nice day.”

Turning on my heel, I marched determinedly toward the buttermilk, opening the door and grabbing a whole carton—hey, better safe than sorry. Then I headed for the checkout, pointedly ignoring the spitting and hissing behind me.

_“Esto no es verdad,” _I mumbled to myself as I stood in line at an open lane. _“No es verdad, no es verdad, no es verdad.” This isn’t true. Not true._

Just when I thought I was about to have a panic attack—not good, never good in a public place—it was my turn. The lady checking me out looked up, a perfunctory smile on her face, got a good look at me, and, well, _checked me out._

“Well he_llo _there, Mr. Todd,” she purred, and if I wasn’t crazy I probably wouldn’t have seen the vicious canines in her smile—or was that real?

_Fuck. _Some days it was too hard to tell the difference between reality and the hallucinations.

I managed a nod as she rang up the buttermilk, gritting my teeth as her eyes roved all over me, lingering for a while on my thighs.

_Dios mio, _my thighs. _Everyone _loved my thighs. If I went _one day _without someone offering to “ride my thighs _all night long” _it was a Goddamn _miracle. My God._

If it weren’t for the whole vigilante thing, and the whole _positive body image _thing, I would have said _fuck it _and let myself slack off on working out. Not that that would have made it any better. If anything, my thighs would have gotten thicker and the innuendos would have gotten worse.

_Curse _my ridiculous good looks, I thought bitterly.

“Here you go,” the lady purred, those canines clicking. She handed me my bag and I tried to ignore the way her fingers skittered across my skin as she handed me my bag. “Have a _great _day.”

“You too,” I said quickly before making a beeline out of the store and to my motorcycle.

Mounting the thing as quickly as I could, I kicked up the kickstand and revved the engine, taking off just as I heard the hissing of the shadow-person-who-was-Vicki-Vale pick up from behind me.

Times like this I _hated _going out in public.

“Ah, hello, Master Jason,” Alfred said as I swept into the kitchen. “Did anything interesting happen while you were out?”

He was dressed immaculately in his usual suit and tie. What always caught my attention were the massive silver wings peeking out from behind his shoulders. The left was a feathered angel wing, the right a scarred demon wing. _Nephaelem wings._

Bruce had assured me that this was another hallucination, but I wasn’t too sure.

“Yep.” I pulled the buttermilk out of its bag and slammed it down onto the counter. “Vicki Vale is a shadow person with a lizard tongue and the cashier had bulldog canines.”

Alfred raised an eyebrow. His wings flapped, shimmering in the light. “Lovely, positively lovely. And are _you _all right, Master Jason?”

“Me? I’m _peachy.” _I ran my hands through my hair. “Has anyone checked the Batcomputer today?”

“Not since three this morning,” Alfred reported. “Why?”

“Beats me. I feel like I want to punch something.”

“Didn’t you just kill five people last night?”

“Yes, but _now _I need to work off some steam. I’m going to go check for new reports, see if anything interesting pops up.”

“You do that, Master Jason.” Alfred reached across the counter and squeezed my shoulder. “Mistress Cassandra and Master Damian are downstairs sparring if you don’t find anything _interesting.”_

I grinned at him. “Thanks, _abuelo.” Grandfather._

Alfred smiled kindly. “You are most welcome, Master Jason. Let me know if I can help in any way.”

“I will.”

Leaving the kitchen, I made my way to the basement and to the giant grandfather clock. Turning the hands to midnight, I watched as the clock slid to the side before stepping through the doorway and down the stairs.

I hadn’t made it three steps when I heard Dami snarl, _“Sbet aljahim, la yazal samda!” Seven Hells, hold still!_

“You know, if you yell at the punching bag it’ll move even more,” I called out on my way down.

_“Aldhahab taqbil almaeiz, Twd!” Go kiss a goat, Todd!_

Laughing, I peeked at the training ring, where Dami was whaling on a punching bag. His black and lime green wings were smaller than Alfred’s, but the same Nephaelem wings. Cass was doing handstand pushups. Her wings were black at the top and faded down to gold. She looked up and grinned at me. “Hi!”

I waved. “Hey, Cass! How goes it?”

Cass did the equivalent of an upside-down shrug. “So-so.”

“Fair.” I glanced at Dami. “What about you?”

“Fine,” Dami grunted, landing a harsh kick on the punching bag.

“The voices again?” I guessed.

Dami paused before launching another punch at the bag, his wings tucked in tight. “Damned things will not cease. _Jid _was screaming at me all night.” _Grandfather._

The three of us had come out of the Lazarus Pit with some…interesting side effects. I suffered from extreme hallucinations in all five senses. Dami heard voices in his head that sounded like his mother and grandfather. Cass experienced dissociative fits so extreme she went into a catatonic state.

Long story short, all of us were pretty fucked up.

We all dealt with it in different ways. Dami either worked out or blared music to distract him. Cass required contact and extreme reactions to shock her system, like ice water. Me, I called someone to reassure myself that the hallucinations weren’t real.

And the whole vigilante thing helped some. It was nice to take out your frustration on some bad guys.

Cass flipped around to stand upright. Her wings flared—not for balance but just for the sake of stretching. She pointed a scarred finger at me. “Okay?”

I shrugged. “Fine. Only a few hallucinations. Vicki Vale is a shadow person with a snake tongue.”

“Why does that not surprise me,” Dami muttered. “Damned woman is a menace.”

“You can say that again.” I made for the Batcomputer. “Don’t let me interrupt you.”

“Glamor charm?” Cass called after me.

Ah. Right.

I grabbed the pendant around my neck and slipped it off. It was a peridot gem—not really my color, but a red bat would have been _way _too obvious—set in a silver cord. Closing my eyes, I imagined the magic fading away, revealing my scarred body, the streak of white in my hair, the flecks of Lazarus lime green in my eyes.

We’d received the glamor charms from an old friend of Alfred’s who owed him a few favors. It hid the scars on our bodies and the physical reminders of the pit.

Maybe it was stupid, lying to the public like this, but if it kept our identities secret, then so be it. Plus, better to have no scars at all than explain why I had slash marks across my face.

Slipping the pendant into my pocket, I flopped into the seat in front of the Batcomputer, typing up a few commands. Our newsfeed popped up—nothing new, really, just the murders we’d committed last night. I smirked.

Let the police try and figure _that _out.

Back when Jim Gordon had been _alive _and _commissioner _he’d had to play an intricate game of chess with the GCPD. He had to _purposefully _derail investigations into murders _he _had helped commit. Ah, the joys of moonlighting as a serial killer vigilante.

But Jim was gone now. Babs was commissioner now, with Dick her right hand man. Now it was up to them to get the GCPD off our tracks.

I paused, glancing away from the newsfeed.

I’d liked Jim. Granted, I’d only known him for all of three months before his untimely murder, but he was nice. He ruffled my hair and called me _chum _and snuck me candy whenever he and Babs came to visit. He was also the one who helped me get over my deep-seated fear and distrust of cops.

I missed him.

A thought occurred to me and I paused, considering.

If Jim was alive right now…what color wings would _he _have?

My hallucinations were anything but predictable, but the ones about my family were always the same—the mismatched angel-demon wings in various colors.

Even _I _had wings. If I ever got the courage to look in a mirror in a public restroom or wherever, I knew what I would see—red wings that faded into a stormy black.

_“No es verdad,” _I muttered, dragging my hands through my hair. _“No es verdad, no es verdad, no es verdad.”_

It wasn’t real. _None _of it was real. I just had to keep reminding myself that.

Then maybe I would be okay.

If only just a little.

A beeping noise had me looking up. On one of the screens, a red icon was pulsing above a black folder.

Ice seemed to creep over my bones.

_That _was a warning sign that the League of Shadows was up to something.

“Guys,” I called. “You may want to come and take a look at this.”

“If this is another tabloid article on how I am secretly _Baba’s _damned _sugar baby, _then I will have to pass,” Dami shouted back. “I am already considering cutting off Vale’s filthy hands, I do _not _need another incentive.”

“No, it’s not that. The Shadows are up to something.”

Silence for a minute, then I was flanked on either side by Cass and Dami. Their wings were stretched out, creating a little shield around us. Despite the fact that this was technically a bad thing, I smiled. Even in my hallucinations, my family tried to protect me.

“Well do not just _sit _there! Open it!” Dami commanded.

I obeyed, clicking the folder to bring up a bunch of—_holy shit._

Cass gasped. _“No.”_

“Oh, that is just _ridiculous,” _Dami muttered.

Spread across our screens were pictures of murder scenes. And not just _any _murder scenes.

No.

I knew those faces.

Not personally, but they were in our files.

Our files about the _Justice League._

“Killed them,” Cass said blankly. _“Killed _them.”

“Well, Deathstroke has been busy the past few weeks,” Dami remarked.

“This was…_mierda, _this was a _massacre.” _I stared at the photos. “And a very _pointed _one, at that.”

There were thirty-three photos. All of them were different, but they seemed to follow two patterns—either their throats were torn out or they were stretched out on a pink rock terrain.

A list popped up on the side—the names of the dead. I knew who they were, knew all of their files by heart, but I couldn’t stop my eyes from roving over the words.

_Rita Farr._

_ Steve Dayton._

_ Niles Caulder._

_ Cliff Steele._

_ Larry Trainor._

_ Martha Kent._

_ Jonathan Kent._

_ Karen Starr._

_ Jeremiah Danvers._

_ Eliza Danvers._

_ Linda Danvers._

_ John Irons._

_ Ted Kord._

_ Alberto Reyes._

_ Bianca Reyes._

_ Milagro Reyes._

_ Eduardo Dorado Senior._

_ Emily Sung._

_ Paula Nguyen._

_ Barbara Whitmore-Dugan._

_ Pat Dugan._

_ Mike Dugan._

_ Patricia Dugan._

_ Victor Vasquez._

_ Rosa Vasquez._

_ Eugene Choi._

_ Pedro Peña._

_ Gregor Markov._

_ Helena Sandsmark_

_ Adeline Kane._

_ Grant Wilson._

_ Joseph Wilson._

_ Silas Stone._

_ Dios mio._

“Well, is this not just _lovely?” _Dami deadpanned.

Cass prodded my shoulder. “What happened?”

“Beats me. Let’s find out.” I typed out a few commands and a mission report came up.

“Okay…Reach allies posed an attack…killed listed metahumans,” I read. “Simultaneous attack on metahumans’ families…mission accomplished.” I whistled. _“Damn.”_

“We need to inform everyone. Immediately.” Dami pressed a large black button in the center of the keyboard—our distress signal. It would automatically call everyone’s vigilante phones so we could get a conference call going. “This does not bode well.”

“Thought the Reach was gone?” Cass was frowning. “Left five years ago?”

“Apparently not.” Dami hummed. “Does this mean we might be able to fight aliens this time around?”

“I sure hope so,” I muttered.

The _last _time the Reach had invaded, most of the family had been…otherwise occupied. Cass was training with her mother—I shuddered at the thought. And Dami and I—I had to swallow back bile—were with the League of Assassins. So none of us had been able to test ourselves against a real alien threat.

But now…

Now we might get that chance.

The soft clicking of hard-soled shoes reached my ears and I didn’t have to look to know that Alfred was standing behind us. I could feel the shadow of his massive, beautiful wings as they loomed over us all.

“You called?” he said in his proper accent.

“Yeah. We’ve got a problem.” I nodded at the screen. “The League of Shadows has been _pretty _busy.”

I could practically _hear _Alfred raising an eyebrow. “I can see that.”

There came several pings, then Bruce’s voice rang from the Batcomputer. “I’m here.”

“So am I,” Kate said.

“Me too,” Harper chimed in.

“Same,” Luke added.

“This had better be good,” Tim hissed. “I _really _have to go to the bathroom.”

“Hold it, Drake, this is important,” Dami snapped.

“Mean,” Tim muttered.

Bruce, Kate, Harper, Luke, and Tim were all working at Wayne Enterprises. Babs and Dick were at the police station. Helena was teaching her third-grade class and Steph, Duke, and Claire were in school.

“Online,” Babs reported. “Dick’s here too.”

“Hey!” I could almost _see _Dick smiling. “What’s good?”

“Not much,” Cass said blankly.

“Well that sucks.”

Helena’s voice crackled on. “Thank _God _I’m on my conference period. What’s wrong?”

“Steph, Duke, and Claire still aren’t here,” I told her. “We have to wait for—”

“I _swear to the seven Hells, _you’d _better _have a good reason to drag me away from AP Chem,” Steph snapped.

“Hey, you can take me out of Trig any day,” Claire giggled.

_“Guys, _I was eating _lunch,” _Duke groaned. “What’s so important that you had to drag me away from Alfred’s spaghetti and meatballs?”

Mmm, spaghetti and meatballs. I licked my lips. That sounded really good right now.

If only I could eat it without seeing intestines instead of spaghetti and gall bladders instead of meatballs.

Mental illness was _so much fun._

“Sorry about your lunch, Thomas, but we have more important things to worry about,” Damian told him sternly.

“Like what?” Kate asked.

“League of Shadows,” Cass said blandly.

Instant silence.

“Details. Now,” Bruce commanded, his voice slipping into Batman Mode™.

As quickly as I could, I explained the situation.

“Well, _that _sure went to Hell in a hand basket,” Steph remarked. “What’s the plan, Brucie?”

“Don’t call me that,” Bruce sighed, and I imagined him pinching the bridge of his nose. “Do you have a location on the Reach’s base here on Earth?”

“Not sure. Let me—” I tapped on a few keys and a mountain range popped up. “They’re located in a hollowed out cave under Hyde Park, Vermont,” I reported.

“Hyde Park? That’s close!” Dick gasped.

“Bruce, it’s your call,” Kate said in her Drill Sergeant™ voice. “What do we do?”

All of us were quiet while we waited for Bruce’s answer. I splayed my palms on my knees.

Would we leave them alone for the Justice League…or would we go in for the kill?

Finally, I heard Bruce inhale and exhale harshly. “Meet in the Batcave at three-thirty sharp. Be in your suits and fully armed by four. At four fifteen, we fly for Hyde Park. Understand?”

We all made noises of assent.

“Good. Dismissed,” Bruce said sharply, and all the lines clicked off.

I glanced first at Cass, then at Dami. Both of them wore the same look on their faces.

And both of their eyes were glowing Lazarus-green.

I knew my own eyes were aflame with the hideous lime green color, and my skin began to itch.

Itch for _blood. _Itch for _violence. _Itch for _death._

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Tonight would be a hunting night.

And no one survived a hunting night.

Well, not in one piece.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell at me on Tumblr!


	5. Even The Good Stuff Can't Keep Me Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even when high, Roy is great at solving mysteries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's going to be a short one. Next chapter something big is coming! Also, please let me know if I can improve my writing on high!Roy. I'm not used to writing heroin-using characters.

**Roy Harper**

When I woke up, I was sprawled on the floor in my bathroom, my head spinning and an empty syringe lying in my real hand.

Blinking, I pushed myself to a sitting position, wincing as my head ached. I tried to reach my metal hand up to feel my head—

Nothing. I felt nothing. When I looked at my right arm, it was nothing more than a stump.

A stump with a fresh injection mark.

Oh.

_Oh._

Well, that explained the empty syringe.

Glancing around, I noticed the prosthetic lying right next to me—about where my head had been, actually. Had I…hit my head on my own _arm?_

I snorted.

_Diné, _that was pathetic. _Holy people._

Then again, so was I.

Someone knocked at my bathroom door. “Roy?” It was Dinah. Huh. I thought she’d gone to see Carter and Shiera. “Are you in there?”

_Fuck. _I couldn’t let her know, couldn’t let her _see—_

“Uh, yeah.” I scrambled over to the sink, yanking open the cabinet and tossing the syringe inside, all with one hand. “Yeah, I’m in here, Dinah. What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” Dinah sounded confused. “Roy, we’re all going to Will’s house to talk about the lead on the murder cases.”

Now my head was spinning again. “We have a lead on the murder cases?”

“What in the seven—were you _asleep _when I told you this?” Dinah sighed in exasperation. “Half an hour ago, I told you we were going over to Will’s! Did you forget?”

Half an hour ago?

Wait—

I glanced at my stump again.

_Ah._

Half an hour ago, the ants had been crawling under my skin, their horrible pinchers snapping and tearing at my skin. My bones had been screaming with pain. Every step I took felt like I was dragging a ball and chain the size of Ollie’s damn mansion.

Half an hour ago, I’d needed a fix. I’d needed a fix or I thought I would die.

I’d apparently gotten one between then and now, but that _still _didn’t explain why I was lying on my bathroom floor.

“Must have.” I reached for my prosthetic, shoving it onto my stump, completely covering the string of track marks marring my discolored skin, and pressing the button that would latch the thing onto me so it wouldn’t fall off. “When are we leaving?”

“Right now. Are you ready?”

“Sure. Just let me grab my hoodie. I’ll be down in a few.”

Dinah clicked her tongue. “All right, but you’d better hurry up. You know how impatient Oliver gets.”

“Boy do I,” I muttered.

As soon as I heard Dinah walk out of my room—thank the four mountains for clunky boots and wood panel floors—I pushed myself to my feet, only to immediately lurch to the side and slam into the wall.

_Diné_, what the _Hell _was _wrong _with me?

Questions for later, I decided. Right now, I needed to get my hoodie and meet Dinah and whoever else down by the Zeta Tube in the Arrow Cave before someone got suspicious.

I dragged myself out of the bathroom and into my bedroom proper. Grabbing a hoodie off the floor, I yanked it on mechanically, barely feeling what I was doing. I didn’t bother zipping it up—I wasn’t that cold.

As I stumbled downstairs, I felt the effects of the heroin I’d injected kicking in. I felt happy, almost giddy, and the ache in my head was fading. My body was buzzing with pleasure, a high I only ever got from adrenaline or an intense orgasm. It felt _good._

Maybe that’s why I needed it so much. To feel _good _again, something I hadn’t felt since before CADMUS.

I cringed.

Don’t think about CADMUS, I told myself. Enjoy the high while you’ve got it.

Hopefully I’d be back to the mansion before the ants started biting again.

Sure enough, everyone still left in the house was waiting at the Zeta Tube. Ollie and Dinah stood side-by-side, little Cynthia hanging onto both of their hands, giggling at something Ollie was saying. Jim was typing away on his phone, probably playing some stupid puzzle app. The guy loved puzzles for _whatever _reason.

“Ah, there you are,” Ollie said cheerily as I approached—my gait had straightened out, thank the four mountains. “We were about to leave without you!” He leaned down and poked Cynthia in the belly. “Weren’t we, princess?”

“Eeek!” Cynthia squealed. “Dad_dy, _stop it!”

The way she said _Daddy _might have made my stomach clench had I not been high on the good stuff. Because it _wasn’t fair._

_I’d _called someone_Azhé'é _once, had smiled up at a chestnut-skinned man with strong hands and a kind smile. And then there was a new man in my life, a blond billionaire with some talent with a bow and arrow. I’d wanted to call _him _Dad, too. _Father._

These thoughts were totally at odds with the buzzing in my veins—it felt weird. So I ignored Ollie entirely—not totally hard to do—and glanced at Jim. “Hey, man. You good?”

Jim cursed. “Darn!” That was about as bad as he got, curse words-wise. “I almost had it!”

I raised an eyebrow. “Had what?”

He turned the screen to me, revealing—

My jaw dropped open. “Is that _Crossy Road?” _I’d been out-of-reality for _eight years _and even _I _knew that was old.

“Hey, I like it!” Jim said defensively. “It takes my mind off of things.”

I shrugged. “Whatever, man.”

The Zeta Tube flared up just then, the brightness stinging my eyes. No matter how many times I saw it, I still wasn’t used to it.

Probably a side effect of being on ice for so long.

Wow, for a guy high on heroin I was thinking a _shit ton _of sad thoughts. Apparently I would need to up the dosage next time.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Dinah herded Ollie and Cynthia through the Tube. “Come on, boys,” she called. “We’ve got a mystery on our hands.”

“Like Scooby-Doo!” I heard Cynthia gasp.

Dinah laughed. _“Exactly _like Scooby-Doo!”

_Diné, _I missed being a kid.

Jim gestured at the Tube. “After you, little lady,” he teased.

I flipped him off as I stepped through the Tube.

Everything buzzed—

—and suddenly I was in Will’s basement. Ollie and Dinah were standing by the stairs, smiling as they watched Cynthia run around, chasing a seahorse made entirely out of water.

As I made my way over to the two adults, I saw Lian—my chest warmed—and Artur standing beside the pool Will kept for emergencies, like dried-out Atlanteans or kids goofing off. Both were laughing at Cynthia as she tried to catch the seahorse.

“Aw, how cute,” Jim cooed, coming to stand beside me.

“Will you guys keep her occupied?” Dinah asked, climbing up the stairs. “We need to talk to the girls.”

“Kaldur is here too,” Artur pointed out.

“And him,” Dinah amended. “Please.”

“Sure. Hey, Aunt Thia!” Lian called. “Want to breathe underwater?”

“Oooh, yes!” Cynthia abandoned the seahorse and ran for Artur and Lian.

“Thanks.” Ollie and Dinah disappeared up the stairs. I lingered for a minute, watching Artur making bubbles around Lian and Cynthia’s heads, the warm feeling in my stomach not just a result of the heroin anymore.

It was kind of weird, I thought as I climbed up the stairs and into Will’s pantry, that Cynthia was technically Lian’s aunt, even though she was two years younger. Then again, Will still treated _me _like I was fifteen when in reality I was fifteen years _older _than him.

That got _real _annoying _real _fast.

“Hey, Roytoy,” Cissie quipped as I walked out of the pantry, through the kitchen, and into the living room, where the girls and Kaldur were laid out on the floor. “How goes it?”

I sent her a dazzling smile. “Pretty good, all things considered. You?”

Cissie recoiled, looking _extremely _confused. “Um, I’m good?”

“Cool.” I sat down next to Arty and Kaldur, nudging Kaldur with my elbow. “How’s the single life?”

“Fine.” Kaldur shot me a strange look. “Roy, are you well?”

“Of course,” I said blankly. “Why do you ask?”

“It’s just…you’re not normally so happy,” Mia told me, eyebrows raised. “Or so…_chatty.”_

_ Fuck. _The pleasure buzzing in my veins was affecting my mood. Hopefully no one would know, no one would make the connection between my cheery attitude and the shit that was coursing through me.

So I shrugged, hoping to play it off. “Meh. I’m feeling pretty good today.” I glanced around, trying to find another topic of conversation. “Where’s Will?”

“Sleeping.” Kaldur ran a hand over his buzzed hair. “He was exhausted, so I told him to get some rest. Took me a while, but he is finally sleeping.”

I had to bite my tongue to resist the urge to ask if Kaldur had kissed Will good night—er, morning.

For _whatever _reason, Will had decided that he could confide in me. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was my clone—but then I never heard him talk to Jim like this. Could have been that he was more emotionally attached to me. Either way, Will trusted me with his dirtiest secrets.

And really, whom was I going to tell? I had no particularly close friends, I tolerated most of my fellow superheroes, and Ollie, my fake father, could go fuck himself. Dinah, the girls, Connor, and Jim were all right, but I wasn’t keen to over share with them either. So his secrets were safe with me.

And one night, one stormy night when Will was missing Jade and lonely, had confessed to me that he and Kaldur had once had drunk sex.

Which blew my mind, because _Will? _With _Kaldur? _Honestly wouldn’t have been my first guess. And the fact that this was Will _before _me, back when he was still Speedy and an even bigger asshole, made me even more confused—and made me question Kaldur’s life choices.

Will had told me the whole thing in _explicit _detail, which I was both grateful and not grateful for. And through this tale, I had learned several important things.

One, both of them were _unquestionably _submissive in the bedroom, a trait that I wondered if I’d inherited.

Two, Will got _real _needy when he was drunk.

Three, Kaldur had _quite _the extensive list of kinks.

And four, I should never, ever, _ever _be near a drunk Atlantean if I valued my general sanity, because they were apparently _insatiable._

With this information wriggling around in my skull, it was hard not to think about it whenever the two of them were in the same room.

And it was _really _hard to concentrate on taking Kaldur seriously when Will had told me how mouthy he got.

Jim came into the room just then, distracting me from my perverted thoughts, and took a seat next to Ollie and Dinah on the couch. “So what’s this lead you guys were so excited about?” he asked, propping his elbows on his knees.

“We found a string of murders in Gotham City that look kind of similar to what happened to my—to _our _loved ones,” Arty started. She tapped Mia’s shoulder. “Show them.”

Mia held up her phone, which showed several images of—

Holy _shit._

Jim gagged. “Oh my…that is just…”

“Gross,” Ollie said.

“Disgusting,” Dinah agreed.

_“Badass,” _I remarked.

Everyone turned to stare at me.

“Really.” Cissie did _not _sound amused. “You think this is _cool?”_

Oops.

“Well, not _cool, _but interesting,” I backpedaled. “It’s freaky, but it’s also kind of…creative, in a way.”

“You know, he’s kind of got a point.” Jim squinted at the screen. “It’s like…a work of _art, _almost. Like a—”

“Like a memorial,” Dinah finished for him.

Jim nodded. “Exactly.”

“So you think that the ones who killed these people are also responsible for our losses?” Ollie asked.

“Exactly,” Mia said as she lowered the phone. “I mean, look at the pictures—it’s grotesque enough that the killers could be the same people.”

“It’s possible,” Dinah mused. “But what would the motive be?”

“To punish them for their sins?” Arty suggested. “It would explain my mom.”

“It would, but what about the others?” Jim gestured vaguely. “What did the Gotham victims have in common?”

“They were all guilty of some crime,” Cissie reported. “The burned chick pimped out kids, the hanging men were child traffickers, and the ones eating gold were robbing a bank.”

“Okay, so if they were all criminals…what does that have to do with our loved ones?” Ollie’s forehead wrinkled. “I mean, Paula I understand, but the others had no criminal records. They were totally innocent.”

“I don’t think it’s them,” I piped up.

Kaldur blinked at me. “What makes you say that?”

“Because the Gotham murders aren’t…clean.”

Mia raised an eyebrow. “Roy, baby, _none _of these murders were clean.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.” I struggled to order my thoughts into semi-coherent sentences. “Think about the Gotham murders—what did they all have in common?”

“They were all disgusting,” Arty deadpanned.

“Yes, but the punishment _also _fit the crime. The pimp was burned, the traffickers had their genitals cut off, the robbers had gold bars shoved down their throat—some aspect of the crime was present in the punishment,” I explained. “Now, what about our murders? What did _they _have in common?”

Kaldur snapped his fingers. “They all had their throats torn open.”

_“Exactly,” _I said triumphantly. “It was cold, impersonal. If the Gotham killers had done it, they would have made it personal, maybe killed your mom—” I nodded at Arty. “—like she’d killed people in the past. Or maybe killed the others in a way that would affect us directly—kill the Danvers’ with Kryptonite, blow the Reyes’ up in an explosion.”

“That,” Jim declared, pointing at me, “was an excellent point.”

I grinned. “Thanks!”

“Okay, but…if the Gotham killers aren’t responsible, then who is? And what do we _do _about the Gotham killers?” Cissie asked.

Dinah was already typing away on her phone. “Victor is already looking into our murders. I’ll have a patrol set in Gotham City tonight, see if we can catch these killers before they take any more lives.”

I felt my insides buzz in a way that had _nothing _to do with the heroin. _Adrenaline, _pumping hard and fast through my veins. I clenched my hands into fists.

By the end of this, _someone _was going to get punched.

And hopefully _I’d _be doing the punching.


	6. Your Blood Stains My Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra gets to let her demons out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter is going to be extremely choppy because I'm trying to reflect Cass' mental state. I mean, speaking isn't her first language, so I went with my gut. Hope you enjoy anyway!

**Cassandra Cain**

“We’re approaching the mountain range now,” Penny-One said through the intercom. “I’d get ready if I were you—scanners have indicated multiple guards posted throughout the area—around the entrances, I’d wager.”

Multiple guards.

First victims.

I grabbed my wakizashi. Tightly.

The metal handle, wrapped in unbreakable silk, was cold.

“You good over there, Orphan?” Red Hood asked. He was opposite me. Mask on. Goggles on. Hood on. Looked scary.

Looked like the killer he was.

We _all _were.

I nodded.

I did not speak when my mask was on.

Part of my training? Yes, but no.

Did not trust enemies with my voice.

Only trusted family with my voice.

“What’s the plan?” Nightwing rubbed his face. Mask uncomfortable, maybe?

That was why I preferred a hood. Two hoods. No discomfort.

No one could see my face.

“We split up.” Batman was growling. No longer Bruce Wayne. All Batman now.

Like I was all Orphan now.

“Go with your squads,” Batman ordered. “Take a five-point arc. Move over the mountain. Capture, but _do not kill. _Not yet.”

Oh.

I blinked.

We were torturing tonight.

Loved and hated torturing.

Demons came out to play.

Relief and curse.

Good and bad.

Yes and no.

Yin and yang.

“When you find an entrance, bring them all in with you. We move through the compound—once we’ve captured everyone, we divide them up and lock them in a room.”

“And then?” Robin asked. “What then?”

Batwoman answered, grinning cruelly, “Then we extract our revenge.”

Hmm.

Revenge.

But what would we do?

I waved a hand. I tapped my throat.

Batwoman nodded. “Exactly, Orphan. No matter what, we _have _to slit their throats.”

Slit their throats.

I thought back to the images on the screen.

Slit their throats.

Slit their throats.

Slit their throats.

_Good._

I winced.

I knew it was bad to do these things. I _knew._

But…

Part of me liked it.

Liked avenging people.

Hurting the people who hurt others…

Made me feel peaceful.

Like I was saving people.

Doing for others what no one had done for me.

Not before my family.

So I would slit their throats.

I would use every ounce of cruelty I had.

I would bathe the mountain in their blood.

_And I would feel satisfied after._

“We are landing,” Penny-One reported. “Everyone be at the ready.”

We all stood.

I held the grip of my wakizashi.

Time for battle.

My body buzzed.

A wave of coolness overtook my body.

Like I was back in that Hellish Pit.

The killing calm.

I hated it, but—

It was useful.

The Heli-Bat landed. No shuddering or anything.

“Everyone out,” Batman ordered. “Now.”

The doors to the Heli-Bat opened. We all, even Penny-One, spilled out.

We were in a clearing. In a forest. A pretty forest—so many snow-covered trees and little snowy bushes. I liked it. Vermont was very pretty.

“Go,” Batman said, and we all scattered.

I followed Red Hood and Robin.

My partners.

My teammates.

My _family._

And the _only two people _that understood my pain.

I smiled—a _real _smile.

I loved them very much.

It was an honor to kill at their sides.

Something snapped up ahead.

Our heads jerked up.

Red Hood drew his odachi.

Robin revealed his katana.

I drew my wakizashi.

The blades gleamed in the evening light.

Red Hood’s fingers twitched.

_Follow me._

Robin and I obeyed.

A few feet ahead sat a small cave opening.

And two people-that-did-not-look-like-people in red armor with green skin pacing in front of it.

_The Reach._

Red Hood held up a hand.

_Wait._

I held myself completely still.

I watched the two Reach sentinels.

They flashed before my eyes.

I wondered what they would look like with their armor off.

What color their blood would be as I spilled it all over them.

The Reach sentinels turned their backs.

We pounced.

Silently, I slammed the pommel of my wakizashi into the first one’s head. It fell. I grabbed it before it could make a sound.

Red Hood and Robin took the other one. Both of their pommels hit the back of its head. Robin caught it.

“Hood to Bats,” Red Hood hissed through the communicator in his ear. “Took out two sentinels.”

“Found one,” Batman growled back.

“We got three,” Spoiler joined in.

“Nothing,” Bluebird said, sounding disappointed.

“Nothing,” Batwing repeated.

“Good. Locate the nearest cave opening and move in _carefully,” _Penny-One commanded. “Find the command center. We will meet there.”

“Roger that.” Red Hood beckoned to us. We walked quietly into the cave. We took the Reach sentinels with us.

It was dark.

And cold.

I expected as much.

But still.

As we went down, it remained a cave.

That surprised me.

Thought they would have made it…

Better.

More advanced.

But there was no technology.

Just rock walls and darkness and stalagmites and stalactites.

What was the difference?

I could never remember.

A light was up ahead.

Was that the command center?

We quickened our pace.

We came into a big cavern. There were several openings—more little caves? A huge screen and control panel took up a wall.

And there were many Reach sentinels inside.

My mouth quirked up.

_Found you._

What now?

Red Hood solved that problem. He walked into the open and said loudly, _“Hola. _You wouldn’t happen to know where to find the guys that killed the JL’s families, would you?” _Hello._

They all turned. They _clicked._

Was that their language?

One stepped forward. Its head was free. I looked closely.

Green skin and black eyes. Bald. No other features.

Interesting.

“Who _dares _invade the Reach base?” it snapped in badly accented English.

“None of your business.” Robin cracked his knuckles. “And you are one to talk—_you _invaded Earth.”

“That is our right,” it hissed. “Now be gone, or we will be forced to kill you!”

“I doubt that highly.”

The rest of my family came spilling out of some of the other caves. Their weapons were drawn. A few of them carried Reach sentinels.

“Who are you?” it clicked.

“We are vengeance incarnate,” Batman snarled. “And we have come to collect your dues.”

Another sentinel ran to the control panel. It pushed a button. Metal walls slammed down over each exit.

Trapping them in here with us.

I bit my lip.

I could not laugh.

_But that was really stupid._

“Stand ready!” Batwoman yelled.

I dropped the Reach sentinel. Held up my wakizashi.

“Please!” the first sentinel snorted. “There are twenty-four of us and fifteen of you. You’re outnumbered _and _outclassed.”

I shook my head.

_Morons._

“Go!” Batman roared.

I pounced.

The killing calm wrapped around my mind.

I could not kill.

Not yet.

But I could hurt.

Two sentinels jumped at me.

I flipped over their heads. Used my legs to bring their heads together.

_Crack!_

Two down.

Another one lunged.

I hooked my foot around its head. Stepped down. Its skull crashed into the floor.

_Crack!_

One down.

I looked around for my next opponent—

There were none.

All of the sentinels were unconscious.

_Anticlimactic, _as Basil used to say.

“Wow.” Oracle dragged a hand through her hair. “That was easy.”

“Indeed.” Robin spat on the ground. “I was hoping for a proper challenge.”

“Oh well. Beggars can’t be choosers.” Nightwing surveyed the room. “How are we going to divide this up?”

“He said there were twenty-four of them. Counting the six we took out, that’s thirty.” Spoiler snapped her fingers. “Two each. Not bad.”

“Excellent.” Red Robin strode over to the control panel. He looked at it for a minute. Then he pressed a button.

The metal walls all lifted up. We now had several caves.

Where we could have our fun.

“All right, everyone grab their two. Remember, slit throats,” Batwing called. “We only have thirteen hours.

Thirteen hours. I could work with that.

I sheathed my wakizashi and picked up two sentinels. I walked into a nearby cave. All the way to the back. Where it was dark.

I set the sentinels down on the ground. Pressed the bat symbol on my chest. The gold in my costume glowed.

Personal light system. Powered by carbon dioxide. Red Robin’s idea.

I grabbed two handcuffs from my utility belt. Snapped them around one of their hands and ankles. Held up the other.

One knife in one hand, one knife in the other.

Now it was pinned to the wall.

The pain made it open its eyes. It snarled at me.

I closed my eyes.

Let the fury I felt after seeing the pictures wash over me.

And I began.

Wow. Their armor was weak.

Huh.

Their blood really was green.

One finger.

Two fingers.

Three fingers.

Four fingers.

Five fingers.

Six fingers.

Seven fingers.

Eight fingers.

Nine fingers.

Ten fingers.

It had no fingers.

Should I do the same to its toes?

Did it even _have _toes?

It did have toes.

Its screams sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

Should I cut out its tongue?

I cut out its tongue.

Oh no.

The other sentinel was waking up.

Cannot have that.

I am not done with you yet.

Its skin was tough.

But my knives were tougher.

Ouch.

That hurt.

It should stop moving like that.

That would only make the pain worse.

Did it have genitals?

It had no genitals.

Maybe I should give it some.

It had stopped screaming now.

Was barely breathing.

Now I would cut its throat.

I took a deep breath. Leaned against the cave wall.

The first sentinel was dead. It hung limp on the wall.

Its friend was up next.

I was tired.

I was hungry.

I was thirsty.

But I was not done yet.

The other sentinel stirred.

I pushed myself up.

Time for round two.

The second sentinel was now in the first one’s place.

What should I do with you?

Hmm.

Interesting.

It was very flexible.

How far can I bend this before it breaks?

Very far.

Does it have ribs?

Yes it does.

I was going to break them.

One by one.

One rib.

Two ribs.

Three ribs.

Four ribs.

Five ribs.

Six ribs.

Seven ribs.

Eight ribs.

Nine ribs.

Ten ribs.

Eleven ribs.

Twelve ribs.

Thirteen ribs.

Fourteen ribs.

Fifteen ribs.

Sixteen ribs.

Seventeen ribs.

Eighteen ribs.

Nineteen ribs.

Twenty ribs.

Twenty-one ribs.

Twenty-two ribs.

Twenty-three ribs.

Twenty-four ribs.

Now it had no more ribs.

Ooh.

It had three hearts.

Did it need all three to survive?

No. No it did not.

Could I pull out its teeth?

Yes. Yes I could.

I decided to stick its teeth in its face.

This one did not scream.

Why?

I popped its eyeballs out of its face.

Okay. I was done now.

Time to die.

I cut its throat.

I looked at both of the bodies.

They did not look right anymore.

They were…

Grotesque.

Basil had liked that word.

I bit my lip.

I could not cry.

I missed Basil.

The communicator crackled. “Okay, people, playtime’s over,” Red Robin said. “It’s six a.m., and we have to be out of here fast. Bring the bodies out. I’ve got an idea how to arrange them.”

I took the knives out of the second sentinel.

It flopped onto the ground.

I grabbed them both. Carried them out of the cave and into the cavern.

The others were already there. Red Robin was directing everyone, pointing at where the bodies should go.

“Orphan,” he said, waving at me. “Put your bodies _there _and _there. _Bend the first one’s legs—yeesh, you really did a number on him—like that, yeah, then take the other one’s head and _exactly _like that!”

He gave me the thumbs up.

I returned it.

Batman, Batwoman, and Penny-One were watching with Red Robin. Oracle, Nightwing, and Batwing were still arranging bodies. The rest of them were painting words on the floor, on the walls, even on the ceiling. They were using the Reach sentinel’s green blood.

I could not read very well.

But I recognized the words.

The _names._

_Rita Farr._

_ Steve Dayton._

_ Niles Caulder._

_ Cliff Steele._

_ Larry Trainor._

_ Martha Kent._

_ Jonathan Kent._

_ Karen Starr._

_ Jeremiah Danvers._

_ Eliza Danvers._

_ Linda Danvers._

_ John Irons._

_ Ted Kord._

_ Alberto Reyes._

_ Bianca Reyes._

_ Milagro Reyes._

_ Eduardo Dorado Senior._

_ Emily Sung._

_ Paula Nguyen._

_ Barbara Whitmore-Dugan._

_ Pat Dugan._

_ Mike Dugan._

_ Patricia Dugan._

_ Victor Vasquez._

_ Rosa Vasquez._

_ Eugene Choi._

_ Pedro Peña._

_ Gregor Markov._

_ Helena Sandsmark._

_ Adeline Kane._

_ Grant Wilson._

_ Joseph Wilson._

_ Silas Stone._

The dead.

The ones the Reach had killed.

I smiled.

The perfect touch.

Red Hood jumped down from the ceiling. He landed on a body and did not flinch at the sound of bones breaking. “Have some fun, Orphan?” he asked me.

Sarcastic.

He was being sarcastic.

He hated this as much as I did.

I knew.

_I knew._

I shrugged.

Not much fun.

Sarcasm or otherwise.

Even when the demons in me took over, I could not really enjoy myself.

Not when I could feel their fear and pain.

It had been hitting me the whole time.

I felt _everything._

To a lesser extent, yes.

But I knew.

_I knew._

And it made it hard to get lost in the moment when every emotion they felt echoed in my own mind.

“All right, that’s enough!” Batman called. “We’re done here. I want everyone out of this cave and into the Heli-Bat in five minutes or less.”

Everyone obeyed. They disappeared into various entrances that led to the surface.

I followed Red Hood out of the cavern, Robin running to catch up with us. We walked in silence. The only lights were from our glowing uniforms.

A hand slipped into mine.

_Red Hood._

I knew Robin was holding his other hand.

“We’re okay,” Red Hood said softly, so softly that he sounded like _Jason _again. “We’re okay.”

“Are we?” Robin asked bluntly. “How do you know we have not just damned ourselves to the seven Hells?”

“Really?” Red Hood glanced at him. “You think, after everything we’ve done, that _this _is the thing that sends us to Hell?”

“It could be,” Robin retorted. “You never know—”

I squeezed Red Hood’s hand.

_Stop._

None of us needed to be reminded of our own trips to Hell.

Not now.

Not after this.

Even now, I could _still _feel the freezing cold of the Lazarus Pit crushing my bones—

“Enough, enough.” Red Hood shook his head. “I didn’t mean to start something.”

“You never do,” Robin muttered.

The mouth of the cave was approaching.

I tugged my brothers, _my brothers in heart and soul, _forward.

Out of the darkness of what we’d done.

And into the healing light of the dawn.


	7. From Drinking And Pining To Murder And More Murder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime has problems, Wally finds out something disturbing, and the Reach is found out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, THIS chapter was fun. Hope you enjoy!

**Wally West**

I blew out a breath, watching the cloud puff from my lips and hover in the air for a minute before vanishing. It was almost like smoking a cigarette.

Which I’d sworn I’d never do—once you’ve seen Will Harper blow through a pack in an hour and watched Rose Wilson pitch a fit because someone stole her lighter, you realize that some things just aren’t healthy.

_Wally, it is six in the morning. Our shift is over._

That was M’gann speaking through the mind link. _Got it _I replied, standing from my spot on the top of a small apartment building. _Everyone else copy?_

_ Aye aye, Captain _Tye said sarcastically. _Rendezvous at the Zeta Tube?_

_ Be there in a minute _Billy mumbled.

I winced. I _knew _it was a bad idea to include him in the watch, I just _knew _it. Never a good idea to put a grieving superhero in the line of duty, and a _kid _nonetheless.

Speaking of which—

_Where’s Jaime? _I asked. _Jaime, you there?_

No response.

_Shit _Tye growled. _Where’d he go?_

_ I’ll go look for him _Billy grumbled.

_Absolutely not _I said firmly. _Billy, you go home. You too, Tye. M’gann, tell the League we saw no sign of the killers. I’ll go find Jaime._

Without waiting for a response, I disconnected and jumped off the apartment building, speeding down the side and onto the icy road.

For such a big city, Gotham was oddly quiet at night. There were very few cars on the road, if any, and I didn’t hear a single animal. There was _not _a_soul _out and about. It was creepy.

I wondered if it was because of the criminals that kept Gotham so still—or maybe it was an effect of the killers we’d had no luck finding.

Whatever. I had a bug to find.

Tapping at the Wayne Tech. watch on my wrist, I pulled up the League Tracker—a handy app Victor had come up with so we could find each other in case of an emergency.

This might not have qualified as a _total _emergency, but hey, Jaime was in a bad place mentally right now. I didn’t want him doing something stupid.

My watch beeped, and Jaime’s coordinates flashed across the screen—at a building a block away from some place called Crime Alley.

Something told me I didn’t want to know how it got that name.

I screeched to a halt in front of—

Oh for crying out loud, was this a fucking _bar?_

Yes. Yes, it was. It was in a seedy, rundown, two-story building with no bouncers outside—weird—and a blinking neon sign over the double doors that read **Sodom City.**

Oh, joy upon joy. It was a _gay _bar.

I actively tried to avoid places like these—I didn’t want a repeat of my freshman year of college. But my watch was telling me that Jaime was inside, so inside I would go.

But first, it was probably a good idea for me to get out of my suit.

I pulled my ring open, quickly ridding myself of my suit. Thankfully, I’d had the sense to wear more than just a T-shirt and underwear this time.

Though, I supposed that kind of outfit wouldn’t be too out of place in a bar.

I sucked in a deep breath, muttered, _“Fuck _you, Jaime,” and pushed my way through the doors.

I tried to squeeze my way through the sweaty bodies, block out the sound of the low music and rumbling voices, and tried really, _really _hard to ignore the strippers. I was here to find _Jaime, _not get lost in between some guy’s legs.

When I finally got to the bar, I signaled the bartender, drawing him over before saying, “Excuse me, sorry. Have you seen a tall, Latino b—man anywhere?”

Probably better off if I didn’t mention Jaime was still a minor.

“Shoot, yeah I saw him.” The bartender pointed at a set of stairs. “He went up there—room 27—but I wouldn’t interrupt him. He took someone up with him—along with a whole bottle of Bourbon.”

_A whole bottle?_

I mean, at least it wasn’t tequila or vodka.

But _still—_

“Thank you,” I told the bartender before making a beeline for the stairs.

Escaping the crowds and running up the stairs, I found myself in a hallway full of rooms. Weirdly enough, there wasn’t a pattern to the room numbers—they were all random, from 3 to 109.

Room 27 was directly to my left, but I knew better than to burst right in. The bartender had said Jaime had taken someone with him, and I’d rather take a nosedive into Hell than see Jaime between someone’s legs.

So I sat down next to the door, took out my phone, and checked my Clash of Clans.

This was not the best way to cope, I mused while attacking an enemy base. Drinking and fucking the pain away—_definitely _not a good idea. And I spoke from experience, because that was _exactly _how I’d reacted when my parents had been killed—even if my dad was a raging asshole and my mother basically left me to my own devices.

It had taken a combination of Will, Arty, Garth, Lilith, _and _Donna to snap me out of my funk. That was when I swore off drinking rocket fuel, because that shit _really _screwed me over, and decided to save sex for a serious relationship.

And now Jaime was repeating my mistakes.

I frowned at the memory and at the fact that my base had taken damage.

He needed someone to help him.

And I was determined to be that someone.

I was reinforcing my base when the door clicked open and a skinny, half-naked redhead staggered out of the room, giggling and virtually _covered _in hickeys. He made his way down the stairs, and I noticed he was limping.

_Yeesh. _Jaime didn’t mess around.

Picking myself up, I put my phone away and walked into the room and closed the door behind me.

The room was old and creaky, the only furniture a listing canopied bed and a nightstand. Clothes were strewn all over the floor, and a bottle of bourbon had spilled all over a shirt that I assumed was Jaime’s.

The Blue Beetle himself was tucked up under the sheets in the bed. His brow was furrowed and he was panting, probably a result of a hangover and an awesome orgasm.

I marched over to the bed and clapped my hands right over Jaime’s face.

He shot up with a scream, the sheets tangling around his waist. “What! What!” he gasped.

“Rise and shine, _amigo,” _I said sarcastically. _Friend._

“Wally?” Jaime rubbed his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“Thought I’d come and tell you patrol was over.”

_“Patrol? _What do you—_que me jodan,” _Jaime swore. “I’m sorry, I’m _so _sorry, I just—” _Fuck me._

“Let me guess, you were in the neighborhood and thought you had time to stop for a drink?” I asked dryly.

“I’m _sorry.” _Jaime ran his hand through his hair. “I _know_I fucked up…there’s no excuse, I know, I just…”

“Hey, man, it’s okay.” I sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I get it. You’re grieving. I _understand. _But _this—” _I gestured to the mess around me. “—is no way to deal with it. If you’re sad about your family, you can go and talk to someone—what about Bart? I heard he’s been hanging with you and Ed—”

_“Dios mio, _don’t.” Jaime’s hand slid down to cover his face. _“Don’t _talk about them, _please.”_

“Why?” I was extremely confused. “Is there a problem? Did they make you mad?”

_“No, _nothing like that. They’re both _perfect. _And that’s the _problem.”_

“Okay, bud, I want to help you here, but that makes no sense,” I admitted. “If you want my help, you’re going to have to give it to me straight.” I snorted. “Ha—straight.”

“Fine.” Jaime lowered his voice. “I’m…I’m in love with them.”

“Oh. Oh, okay.” Wait. My brain screeched to a halt. “Wait—with which one?”

_“Both _of them,” Jaime groaned.

“Time out, time out.” I held up my hands. “You like both of them.”

“Yes.”

“Both Bart and Ed.”

“Yes.”

“At the same time.”

“Yes.”

“Wow.”

“I know.”

I sighed. “Not going to lie, that’s a Hell of a situation you’ve gotten yourself into.”

“I _know!” _Jaime flopped back onto the bed.

“Can’t you just choose one?” I tried.

_“Choose?” _Jaime shot me a horrified glance. _“How _can I _choose? _They’re both so damn _perfect _it makes my chest hurt.”

I waited.

“Bart is…he’s a literal ray of sunshine. He makes me _happy _and he _cares_about me and even when I was evil he had _faith _in me when _no one__else _did. He’s everything I need to feel_good _again.”

Jaime sighed. “But Ed—he’s _like me. _He _understands _what it’s like to have lost _everything _to this life, to have everything he’s ever known _taken _from him just like that. When I need to get angry, I go to him and he _gets _it because he’s _not _like Bart, he’s like _me, _and we both had _normal _lives before all this and…”

My friend whimpered, covering his eyes.

I whistled. “Wow, you sound really devoted to them. And it has nothing to do with their looks?”

_“Of course it does.” _Jaime laughed a little hysterically. “You think I _don’t _notice how beautiful they both are? You think I _don’t _want to know what kissing them feels like, what Ed’s hips will feel like if I hold him, the noises Bart would make if I—?”

“Watch it, _amigo, _that’s my baby cousin you’re talking about,” I snapped.

“Sorry, sorry, _sorry. _I just—_Dios mio, _I _can’t _with them right now!” Jaime rolled over, burying his face in his pillow. _“How _on _Earth _can I _choose?”_

Biting my lip, I cast my mind around for a solution. My thoughts automatically went to Aunt Iris, one of the most sensible people I knew. What would _she _do if she—

And it hit me in the side of the head like a punch from Connor.

_Duh._

“Maybe you don’t have to,” I said slowly. “Why not just date both of them?”

“At the _same time?” _Jaime squawked indignantly, his voice muffled by the pillow. “Can I even _do _that?”

“I don’t know, Jaime,” I deadpanned. “I have an aunt and two uncles who’ve made it work, you tell me.”

“W—oh. _Oh.” _Jaime looked up, only to immediately put his head back down. “But _they don’t like me like that!”_

“How do you know?” I asked. “Have you ever asked _them _what _they _think?”

“Oh, yeah, can you _imagine _how _that _conversation would go?” Jaime scoffed. ““Hey, Bart. Hey, Ed. Not to be awkward, but could I join in on your relationship, because you know I’m madly in love with _both _of you?” Bart would be _traumatized _and Ed would _literally _kill me for hitting on that _literal _Godsend you call a cousin.”

He let out this exhausted groan. “I’m _doomed.”_

“Hey, now.” I patted his back sympathetically. “It’ll be okay. You can get through this. I’ll be here to help you, okay?”

Jaime glanced up at me and smiled weakly. _“Gracias, _Wally. I owe you one.”

“Cool. You can _owe me one _by dragging your ass out of bed and putting on your clothes.” I paused. “And explaining to me _why, _if you’re _madly in love _with Bart and Ed, you banged that ginger dude like a screen door in a hurricane.”

“Oh. _Him.” _Jaime sighed. “Well, I was there drinking and he came up and started flirting with me and he looked _so much _like _Bart _and I figured what the Hell it was as close as I could get so we sort of…”

Jaime trailed off, flushed red as a tomato.

It was my turn to sigh. “Jaime, _amigo,_I cannot even _begin _to express how bad of an idea that was.”

_“You’re _telling_me?” _Jaime flopped back down and screamed into the pillow. “Listen to me, my _family _just got _killed _and all I can think about is my _fucking love life!”_

“It’s perfectly natural,” I soothed. “Your mind is looking for something to distract you—I just wish it wasn’t so difficult for you.”

“You and me _both.” _Jaime rolled onto his side. _“Dios mio,_I just want to bang my head against a wall.”

“Don’t,” I said immediately, alarmed. “Don’t do that, Jaime. Or I’ll have to send you to Dinah.”

“Relax, I won’t.” Jaime eyed me. “Now would you mind turning around? I need to get my clothes back on.”

“No problem, _amigo.” _I glanced at his shirt. “I think your shirt’s kind of ruined, though.”

“Huh?” Jaime sat up and cursed. _“Mierda, _what the _Hell?”_

“Beats me.” I stood up and made my way to the door. “Come on out when you’re done—and maybe don’t wear the shirt.”

“No duh,” Jaime called after me as I left the room, closing the door behind me.

Man, Jaime’s problem really sucked, I thought as I waited outside room 27. Having _one _unrequited crush was bad, but _two _at the same time?

It was almost the kind of problem a Fuck Boy™ would have, only Jaime wasn’t a Fuck Boy™.

The door to the room opened and Jaime stepped out in full Blue Beetle regalia, his clothes clenched in his hands.

I raised an eyebrow. “Well _that’s _one way to do it.”

“Hey, _you _try walking home in dirty clothes,” Jaime snapped.

“Been there, done that, trashed several T-shirts that way. Now come on, let’s get you back to Jay’s.”

Jaime shook his head. “No, I don’t want to go back there yet. I can’t face…” He swallowed. “Can I go back to Mount Justice with you?”

I was currently living there—student loans were killing me—and said, “Sure, man. There’s always room for you.” Opening my ring, I changed into my suit faster than Jaime could blink. “Now come on. Out the window.”

“Wait, what?” Jaime looked confused. “Aren’t we going through the bar?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really? Dressed like _that?” _I gestured to Jaime’s suit.

“Like _this _is the weirdest thing those people have seen,” Jaime scoffed. Nevertheless, he sprouted wings and flew toward the window at the front of the building. I sped after him and jumped out the window, landing squarely on my feet—

A shrill scream filled the air and my head jerked to the right. In the dim morning light, I saw a little boy struggling with a hulking adult figure—a man.

Rage filled my veins.

_Not on my fucking watch._

_ “Hey!” _I roared. I sprinted toward them and punched the guy so hard I heard his jaw clack. He fell back, stone-cold unconscious.

“You’re okay,” I started, turning to the kid—who was cowering against the wall of the nearest building, absolutely terrified.

“Shh, it’s all right,” I said gently, holding out my hands. “You’re safe now.”

“G-Get away!” the boy whimpered. He had a strong Gothamite accent “You’re not a Demon! Get away!”

“A _demon?” _Jaime landed beside me, wings retracting. “No, of course not! I’m Blue Beetle, and this is Flamebird.” He gestured first to himself, then me. “We’re not demons.”

“Blue Beetle? Flamebird?” The boy blinked up at us. “Why are you in Gotham City?”

“We’re looking for some people—killers, actually.” A thought occurred to me. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about the murders committed a few days ago, would you?”

To my shock, the boy grinned. “Sure do! It’s the Demons!”

I stared at the boy. “The Demons.”

“Yeah, the Gotham City Demons!” The boy squinted at us. “You don’t know about them?”

“No.” Jaime smiled pleasantly. “Can you tell us about the Demons…?”

“It’s Jacob,” Jacob said. “I’ll tell you about them! They’re the best! They killed my dad!”

He was smiling as he said this.

“Um…” My head was spinning. “I’m confused. Why did they kill your dad?”

“Oh, my dad was a mean person. He did bad things to my mommy and me. Then the Demons took him away and killed him! Now Mommy and I are happy! Mommy has a job and I have a new daddy who’s really nice to me! I even have a baby brother coming!” Jacob bounced up and down on his feet. “They’re so awesome!”

“How did they know about your dad?” Jaime asked.

“Oh, that’s easy,” Jacob said, waving a hand. “If you’re in trouble, you put a little bat outside of your window. That’s how you signal the Demons. Then they come and you tell them your problem and they take care of it for you!”

“Did you see them?” I pressed. “What did they look like?”

Jacob squinted. “I didn’t see them very well. The lights went out in our apartment. They came in through the living room window—there were three of them. One was really big with red eyes. One was really small with white eyes. And one was medium-sized with black eyes. The red-eyed one asked me what was wrong and I told them. So the black-eyed one went into Mommy’s room and dragged my dad out. Then they went back out the window. The next morning, Mommy told me that my dad was dead!” He clapped his hands. “They saved us!”

I shot a horrified glance at Jaime, who looked just as freaked out as I was.

Could these Demons be the killers we were looking for?

“Are you looking for the Demons?” Jacob asked. “Because they don’t come unless you call them, or if there’s a crime. But they only come at night, so you won’t find them now.”

“We haven’t seen them all night,” Jaime admitted. “Do you know why?”

“Probably because they don’t want you to find them.” Jacob shrugged. “Or maybe you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They only let the people who need them see them.”

Well, then this whole patrol was for nothing.

“Thank you for telling us this,” I told him. “What were you doing out so early anyway?”

“I was going to the bus stop,” Jacob explained. “The school bus gets here _super _early in the morning, and I don’t want to miss it.”

Come to think of it, he _did _have a backpack on.

“Well tell you what.” I knelt down in front of him. “How about I give you a ride to the bus stop while Blue Beetle takes this guy to the police station?”

“Wait.” Jacob frowned. “You mean you aren’t going to kill him?”

_“Absolutely not!” _Jaime squawked. “Why would we do _that?”_

Jacob shrugged again. “The Demons _always _kill the bad guys.”

“Well we’re _not _the demons.” I jerked my thumb at my back. “Hop on, kiddo.”

“You got it!” Jacob scrambled onto my back while Jaime grabbed the man by the collar.

“You know where to meet me,” I told him.

Jaime nodded. His wings flared up and he took off, his ruined clothes in one hand, the man in the other.

I took off, following Jacob’s directions, and soon enough, we were at the bus stop.

“You know, I could drop you off at your school,” I offered as I let him down.

“No thanks. Then I wouldn’t get to talk to my friends.” Jacob smiled up at me. He was missing a tooth. “Thanks, Flamebird. I think you’re as cool as the Demons!”

He thought I was as cool as a bunch of serial killers. “Thanks,” I said anyway, trying not to let the sarcasm show. “You sure you’ll be okay?”

“You bet!” Jacob gave me the thumbs up. “Nice meeting you!”

I waved and sped off to the broken down telephone booth that served as our local neighborhood Zeta Tube.

It didn’t take long for Jaime to appear.

“What’s up?” I asked as he landed beside me.

“Well, I dropped the guy off at the police station.” Jaime snorted. “They looked shocked. One of them said that they hadn’t gotten a _live _criminal at night for, like, twenty-seven years.”

I whistled. “Damn. The Justice League will have a field day with this one.”

“Then we’d better get going.” Jaime held out his hand. “After you, milady.”

“Fuck you, bug boy.”

“Again, they’re called the _what?”_

“The Gotham City Demons,” I repeated into my earpiece. “That’s what the kid said.”

I was flopped over on one of the couches in the lounge area in Mount Justice online with Uncle B, who was manning the Watchtower’s monitor. Jaime had gone to hit the showers and then sleep off the approaching hangover.

“Well, _that’s _disturbing,” Uncle B remarked. “And did you ask if anyone else has seen them?”

“Didn’t get the chance.” I ran a hand through my hair. “But from what he said, it seems they’re popular.”

“And more active than we thought.” Uncle B sighed. “All right, I’ll inform the rest of the League. You just sit tight. We might send you or someone in to do some recon—talk to others, see if they’ve had similar experiences.”

“You got it. Peace out, Uncle B.”

“You too, kid.” The line went dead.

I huffed.

This situation had just gotten _way _more complicated.

“Sheesh, I haven’t seen you this stressed out since you applied to Stanford.”

Lilith’s face appeared in my line of sight, grinning.

I smiled too. “Hey, Lil. What’s up?”

“Not much.” She held up a bowl. “I made you popcorn.”

I shot up like a rocket and snatched the bowl from her hands. “My _hero,” _I moaned around a mouthful of popcorn.

Lilith chuckled. “Always a pleasure to watch you stuff your face.”

“Mmm.” I held out a handful of popcorn. “Want some?”

She wrinkled her nose. “No, thanks. I just had some gnocchi soup. I’m good.” Lilith _loved _Italian food.

“Huh. Your loss.” I continued to shovel popcorn into my mouth.

“Sure.” Lilith sat next to me. “So, can you tell me more about these demons you were talking about a minute ago?”

In between mouthfuls, I explained the situation to her.

“Oh _gods.” _Lilith shuddered as I swallowed the last of the popcorn. “That is _terrifying.”_

“You’re telling me.” I wiped my lips with my sleeve. “So now we’ve got to figure out the mystery of the Gotham City Demons _on top of _figuring out who _killed _everyone.” I raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been hanging with Don, Dawn, and Jan—I’m a little out of the loop. Have we made any progress on the front?”

Lilith shook her head. “Nothing. We keep hitting dead ends. I think Victor’s going to pop his eye out in frustration.”

I chuckled at the image. “That’d suck.”

“Indeed.” Lilith took a deep breath. “I’m scared of the Demons, Wally.”

“Me too,” I admitted.

“No, I mean…what if they’re N.O.W.H.E.R.E.? What if they’re nothing but…?” Lilith trailed off, her lower lip trembling.

“Hey, hey.” I pulled my teammate into a hug, tucking her head beneath my chin. “Don’t worry—we aren’t going to let anything happen to you, okay? Those Demons will be no match against the Justice League.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Lilith muttered. “I’ve been—it’s just at the edge of my vision, I can’t really make them out—”

I frowned. “Make whom out?”

“I see…shadows,” Lilith mumbled. “Bloodstained shadows with strange wings.”

“Well, _that’s _fucking ominous,” I deadpanned. “Can you see anything else about them?”

Lilith shook her head. “Nothing—but I get the feeling that they’re formidable. And important.”

“Don’t let it get to you,” I advised. “The future’s a funny thing. You can never rely on visions. They say one thing and wind up meaning something else altogether.”

“How do _you _know that?” Lilith asked.

I shrugged. “You’ve told us that. Like, a million times.”

“God, is _that _what I sound like?” Lilith pulled away, frowning. _“How _on _Earth _do you guys take me seriously?”

“You make it sound wise,” I told her.

My earpiece buzzed. I tapped it once. “You’ve got Wally.”

“Walls.” It was Uncle B. “Get everyone out of the cave and up on the Watchtower.”

“On it,” I said, standing. “May I ask why?”

Uncle B’s voice was dead serious. “We found the people responsible for our murders.”

My blood froze. “We’ll be right there.” I hung up.

“What is it?” Lilith asked.

“They found our murderers,” I told her. “Get everyone out here and into the Zeta Tubes. They’re calling a mass meeting in the Watchtower.”

“Got it.” Lilith made a beeline for the bedroom wing.

I twisted my ring, releasing my suit.

Now it was time for some _payback._

“Is everyone here?” Clark asked.

I glanced around. Every superhero, from the Green Lanterns to Forager, was present in the Watchtower’s control room. Even Tara and Brion had taken time off from their newfound royal duties to come, suits on and their mouths stretched into grim lines. I noticed Brion was holding Violet’s hand and Tara and Connor Hawke were standing close to each other.

“We’re all here,” Ted confirmed. “Now, who’re the bastards responsible for this?”

“The Reach,” Clark said dully.

The room exploded with noise.

“Oh for _fuck’s sake, _not this shit again!” I heard Roy yell, and honestly, I couldn’t blame him.

_“Same, _man,” Bart grumbled from behind me.

“Come _on, _didn’t we _just _get rid of them?” Karen groaned. Mal nodded beside her.

“It’s been five years,” Raquel reminded her. “But I echo the sentiment.”

_“Where are they,” _Kara snarled, rising a few feet in the air. “Tell me where they are so I can _kick their asses!”_

_“Fuck_yeah!” Courtney punched the air. “Let’s kick some alien ass!”

“They’re located in a base under a mountain in Hyde Park, Vermont.” Clark nodded at the rest of us. “Prepare yourselves. We leave in five minutes.”

We all cheered.

I turned around to look at where Bart was sandwiched between Ed and Jaime. Bart and Ed were holding hands and Jaime’s fists were clenched.

“Ready for some good old-fashioned revenge?” I asked them.

_“Definitely.” _Ed visibly tensed. “I’m going to _destroy _those _pendejos _for what they did to my _papá.” Assholes. Father._

Jaime nodded. “And for my family.”

_“And _for my loved ones,” Bart added.

I grinned cruelly. “Then let’s do this.”

Look out, Reach.

We’re coming for you.


	8. The Voices In My Head Will Not Shut Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian malfunctions. Thankfully his family is there to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am going to go ahead and say that everything Damian experiences here is for the most part completely true. I can say that with certainty because I go through the same thing, except my mom and grandfather don't talk to me and I've never tried to bang my head open against a wall. Hope you enjoy!

**Damian Wayne**

**_Just look at her. Look at her _**_Jid _purred.

I squeezed my eyes shut, burying my head in my hands, trying to forget that Row had just walked past me.

**_You think she is pretty, do you not _**_‘Um _gloated. **_You think she is pretty. _**_Mother._

No. No I did _not._

I mean, objectively yes, she was beautiful, but that was only platonic! I wanted nothing to do with her, romantically _or _sexually!

_Especially since she was my cousin._

“Dami?”

I opened my eyes to see Todd standing in front of me. He was still half in his gear from the waist down. Otherwise his chest was bare, his impressive, scarred figure bared to the world.

**_You see this? You should be attracted to him. But you are not. You like women, do you not you sinner? _**_Jid _snarled.

_No _and _no _and _no._

I winced.

“Hey, hey, easy, Dami.” Todd knelt before me and grabbed my shoulders. “Is your OCD acting up again?”

I nodded. “Yes. It…_Jid _and _‘Um _are telling me I should be attracted to you—and I am upset because…I am not.”

It was hard to talk about, hard to open up like this. But I trusted Todd—and Cain and the rest of my _true _family—and I had learned that if I told him what was bothering me, he would help.

“Well I certainly _hope _you aren’t,” Todd chuckled. “Otherwise things would get _real _awkward _real _fast.”

“I am glad _you _find this funny,” I muttered. “I, meanwhile, am still suffering.”

Todd sighed. “Sorry, Dams. I deal with problems with sarcasm and humor, remember? I can’t help it.”

“Yes, I am painfully aware of your coping methods, Todd.” I ran a hand through my hair.

“Look, Dami, you’re _not __supposed _to be attracted to every guy you see,” Todd soothed. “That’s not how it works.”

“It should,” I grumbled. “It would make things so much easier.”

Todd laughed again. “If it worked like that, Dami, everyone’s hearts would be breaking all day every day.”

He had a point.

But still—

“I just—it is—it would be _so much easier _if there were not so many _women _around here,” I groaned, burying my head in my hands.

Allah the Most Merciful, _why _could these thoughts not just _leave me alone?_

“Dami, hey.”

Hands cupped my chin, tilting my head up until I was looking at Todd’s teal eyes. The Lazarus lime green flecks shone in the light. I gulped and chose to focus on his nose, his mouth, his ears, _anything _but those green flecks.

“Listen to me, Dams.” Todd’s voice was serious. “You _know _that these thoughts are all in your head. You _know. _Don’t you remember your Heaven?”

_Allah._

_ My Heaven._

“Yes, I remember.” I licked my lips.

How could I _forget?_

I imagined the feel of those sky blue eyes as they roved over my skin and relaxed, just a little.

_“There _we go,” Todd said, smiling. “You see? In your Heaven you loved a man. A _man. _You do _not _like girls. Okay?”

I swallowed. “Okay.” A pause. “I am going to shower now.”

“Roger that, boss. Are you okay now? Do you still need help?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I think I will be all right.”

“Cool. If not, just yell and I’ll come get you. Got it?”

“Yes. Thank you, Todd. I…” I cut myself off. The words were there on the tip of my damned tongue, but I just—

“I know, _pequeño.” _Todd pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Now go shower. Okay?” _Little one._

“Okay.” Todd let go of me and stood, moving away.

I sighed. He annoyed me sometimes, but Todd _knew _me. He had been _right next to me _as we fought our way through Hell. Todd and Cain and I. The three _amigos, _Todd had dubbed us.

Todd understood what the others did not. The Lazarus flecks in my eyes could be glowing and the others would try and talk me down but _Todd _would take me down to the Batcave and spar with me until the anger passed. _Jid _and _‘Um _would be screaming in my mind and instead of giving me verbal encouragement, _Todd _would get out a book from one of his many bookshelves and read to me until I was wrapped up in the plot. My anxiety would hit and _Todd, _rather than try and smother me, would sit across from me and recite sonnets in several different languages until I had recovered enough to tell him to shut up.

Cain was like that too. They _knew _me and _I _knew _them. _The three of us understood each other in ways that our other siblings simply could not because _they _had not had Heaven ripped away from them.

_Allah have mercy._

_ Heaven—_

Those blue eyes seemed to burn into my skin.

**_Filthy little boy _**_Jid _rumbled. **_You truly think a cock can satisfy you?_**

Shut up, I told him.

I stood from my seat in front of the Batcomputer—honestly. I knew Grayson had come up with the name, but _how _in the _seven Hells _could _Baba keep _it—and strode off for the showers, stopping by my private changing rooms to fetch my workout clothes.

**_Liar _**_‘Um _murmured as I walked into the men’s showering chamber. **_Pretender. Faker. You know you do not prefer men. You just like to tell yourself that. You like women, do you not?_**

_ No. No _I did _not._

Setting my workout clothes down on the bench outside of the shower chamber proper, I methodically peeled my uniform off of my body and folded it carefully, ascertaining that there was not a _single wrinkle. _It had been drilled into me from an early age to treat my clothes with the utmost care—otherwise I would be punished.

I shuddered.

Do _not _think of punishment right now. Now was _not _the time. I had to cleanse myself, then go and feed all of my animals. _That _was my priority right now.

When I walked into the showering chamber, Fox was already there, scrubbing at his shoulders. His body, while not as large as Todd’s and not scarred quite as extensively, gleamed in the light, dark umber skin streaked with imperfections.

Fox was another person I trusted implicitly—not like Todd or Cain, but close enough, because he suffered from the same illness that I did. The differences were that his was a condition he’d been born with, whereas mine was a curse from Hell, and he did not hear his mother and grandfather’s voices.

Not that he’d told me, anyway.

“Hey _Skerp een,” _Fox said when he noticed me turning on a shower. “How goes it?” _Sharp one._

“Well enough,” I told him, sighing as the hot water began to pour over me. “Yourself?”

“Meh.” Fox shrugged. “I’m good. Still trying to calm down after our mission. Did you see what I did to one of my guys?”

I nodded. “Indeed. Peeling it open and tying it up in its own digestive system. Excellent work.”

“Thanks.” Fox looked pleased. “And I liked what you did with yours. Can’t believe you broke every bone in that thing’s body—that must have taken a while.”

“It did.” I reached for the Batshampoo. There was one by every showerhead. There was Batshampoo and Batsoap and Batshaving cream, but there was also Conditioner Gordon—an inside joke we had had for years. We even labeled them all. “Some of it had to be done posthumously. I could not very well have it die from a broken spine and skull.”

“Fair.” Fox turned to face me and I caught a glimpse of the pale white line around his neck—a reminder of the time the Rat Catcher had slit his throat. It made my heart ache for a moment—made me remember the scar along my spine, stretching up to my hairline and down to just above my backside.

**_Dirty boy _**_Jid _chanted as I zeroed in on that white scar. **_Dirty boy dirty boy dirty boy dirty boy—_**

“Stop,” I muttered, pressing a hand to my head.

Fox frowned. “Stop what?”

**_Deviant _**_‘Um _giggled. **_Sinner. Fake. Liar. Liar. Liar._**

“Nothing.” I shook my head. “I am fine.”

“Damian.” Fox’s voice was serious. _“Skerp een. _Are you okay?”

**_Why are you not attracted to him, sinner? _**_Jid _asked. **_Why are you not at this moment having sex with him? Is it because you are a liar? Is it because you are false?_**

“Hey, hey, _Damian.” _Hands were grasping my shoulders. “Snap out of it. It isn’t real, _it isn’t real.”_

**_Listen to him, lying to you. _**_‘Um _was laughing outright now, her unholy cackles filling my head. **_He is trying to protect you. Is that not adorable?_**

“Damian. _Damian. _Can you hear me? Damian!”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

**_Filth _**_Jid _spat. **_Filth and lies. Look at all the lies you tell yourself. You think you like men? That you are anything but a liar, a sinner, a fake? That is false. You prefer females and you know it. You are thinking about them right now, are you not? Miserable whore._**

And I could see it behind closed eyes—naked women, their bodies writhing, dancing in front of _Jid _for his pleasure before Cain had come along, the trail of women smiling at me, their hands grasping, grasping, grasping—

_“NO!” _I bellowed, clapping my hands over my ears. _“SHUT UP!”_

_“Jason! _Jason, get in here! Damian’s having an attack!”

**_Slut! _**_‘Um _shrieked. **_Sinner! Sinner! Sinner! You prefer women—you are lying to yourself if you think you are anything different!_**

_ “NO!” _I lunged, palms out, found the nearest wall, and began slamming my head against it. _“SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP—!”_

“Damian, _no!” _Suddenly I was wrapped up in a strong embrace, dragged away from the wall. Wailing, I resorted to hitting my head against a strong collarbone.

“What happened—_mierda, Dami!”_

A cold hand jabbed my neck _hard—_

_ “Dami! Dami!_

_ Soft hands cupped my face. “Are you awake? It is almost time for the picnic!”_

_ I laughed, opening my eyes. “Well I am now.”_

_ Jon threw his head back and laughed, briefly exposing his throat. I took the opportunity to press my lips to his Adam’s apple, caressing the skin with my mouth._

_ “Dami!” Jon giggled. “Quit it!”_

_ “Never,” I murmured against him. “I will never stop, _Alsyghyr, _never stop finding ways to show you that I love you.” _Little one.

_ “Aw, Dami! I love you too!” Jon began to pepper my face with kisses. “I love you so much,” he told me between kisses, “but do you know what would make me love you even more?”_

_ I raised an eyebrow. “If I bought you a Maserati?”_

_ “No! I mean yes, but that’s not what I meant!” Jon pinched my nose. “I would love you even more if you came with me to the picnic!”_

_ “Hmm.” I pretended to think about it. “Should I?”_

_ “Please, Dami?” Jon begged. “Please, please, please?”_

_ “Oh all right,” I mock-sighed. “If I must.”_

_ “Yay!” Jon pulled me off of my bed—I had been napping in my room—and out into the hallway._

_ I allowed Jon to lead me out of the manor and to the backyard, where a massive blanket had been spread over the green grass. My family and their loved ones were sitting around it, talking and laughing amongst themselves._

_ “Jon!” Stephanie squealed when she saw us. “Damian! You are just in time! Come, come, before the lemonade gets hot!”_

_ “Yes.” Father smiled at me and held out his hands. His eyes gleamed with serenity. “Come, my son. We have been waiting for you.”_

_ A beaming Jon tugged me forward to where a spot had been left open between Todd and Cain. “Come on, Dami!” he said again. “Let us eat!”_

_ “Yes.” I allowed myself to smile. “Let us eat…”_

I woke up sandwiched between two cold bodies, someone’s hands in my hair and a deep, accented voice reciting words in a melodic sort of way.

_Wir wünschen, daß, was lieblich, sich vermehrt,_

_Damit nie stirbt der Schönheit rosige Blüte,_

_Damit, wenn Zeit und Alter sie versehrt,_

_Ein Erbe zärtlich ihr Gedächtnis hüte._

_Doch du, von eigner Augen Glanz verblendet,_

_Nährst an der eignen Flamme nur die Glut,_

_Schaffst Hungersnot, wo die Natur verschwendet,_

_Dein eigner Feind, zu hart zu deinem Blut._

_Du, dieser Erde frischste, liebste Zier,_

_Des bunten Frühlings einziger Verkünder,_

_Erstickst dein Blühen in der Knospe schier,_

_Aus Geiz verschwendest du, mein schõner Sünder,_

_Verschlemme nicht der Erde Teil. Erbarmen!_

_Sie muß durch dich und durch dich Grab verarmen._

I knew that. _Shakespeare’s Sonnet 1. _Todd had spoken it in German, but I knew what it meant.

_From fairest creatures we desire increase_

_That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,_

_But as the riper should by time decease._

_His tender heir might bear his memory:_

_But thou contracted to thine own bright eyes,_

_Feed’st thy light’s flame with self-substantial fuel,_

_Masking a famine where abundance lies,_

_Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel._

_Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament_

_And only herald to the gaudy spring,_

_Within thine own bud buriest thy content,_

_And, tender churl, mak’st waste in niggarding._

_Pity the world, or else this glutton be,_

_To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee._

I groaned, “I _hate _Shakespeare, Todd, you _know _this.” Because _only _Todd would have the _audacity _to recite Shakespeare in my presence.

“Ah, the beast has awoken!” I felt a hand press against my shoulder. “Hey there, Dams. You feeling all right?”

“Not in the slightest.” I quivered where I was and felt the bodies press closer. “What happened?”

“Had an attack.” The hands in my hair patted my head. _Cain. _That could only be her speech pattern. “Panicked. Had to knock you out.”

Well, that would explain why my throat hurt. “I cannot believe you had the audacity to hit my Vagus nerve. I expected better of you, Todd.”

“Hey!” Todd sounded defensive. “We had to knock you out fast! I went with the first thing I thought of because your neck was open.”

“Lovely.” I blinked my eyes open to see Todd and Cain looking down at me. Both were smiling, but I noted the smiles were strained. “What happened after?”

“Jason washed you,” Cain offered. “Luke, Babs, and Dick fed your animals. Brought you up here. Made a Damian sandwich.”

A Damian sandwich meant I wound up being squashed between Todd and Cain. There were other variations, such as the Jason sandwich and the Cass sandwich, all of which happened at random intervals. It was hard to tell which occurred most often.

“Well I thank you for the Damian sandwich, but—” A thought occurred to me and I shot up. “Allah have mercy, did I miss _Dhuhr?” Noon prayer._

If I had missed _Dhuhr—_

“No. Not yet noon.” Cain patted my head again. “Did not miss.”

Oh thank _Allah._

I positively _despised _missing any prayer times. I usually carved time out of my day so I could pray—thankfully my scheduled time of vigilante work did not interfere with my prayers. Even today, when I had been carving up those wretched Reach sentinels, my watch had told me when it was prayer time, and I obeyed.

I may have been many things—traitor, murderer, torturer, vigilante—but I would always be faithful to Allah.

“Can I see my animals?” I asked, settling back down between my two siblings.

“Sure thing.” Todd whistled. “Ace. Titus. Up!”

Two massive furry dogs bounded up onto the bed and settled on my legs. Titus whined, nuzzling my knee, and Ace huffed, resting his head on my thigh.

“Alfred with Tim,” Cain told me. “Chewing boxers. Tim is angry. Left him there.”

I snorted at the imagery. “Excellent work, Cain.”

Cain beamed.

“Sorry I had to knock you out, Dams.” Todd squeezed my shoulder. “Did you have a good dream, at least?”

“Yes.” I swallowed, feeling bliss sink into my bones. “I dreamed about _him _again.”

“Him—Jon?” Cain asked.

I nodded. “Yes. We were attending a picnic with all of you and your special ones. It was nice.”

**_Yes it was _**_Jid _piped up for the first time since I had awoken. **_Too bad it was not true._**

But it _was. _It _was _true, because that was my Heaven.

Heaven is not what the general populace thinks it is. It is _not _a giant plain full of angels and people with halos and there is _no _giant throne for Allah to sit on. During my time there, I never _once _saw Allah, nor an angel.

Heaven is personal. It is a room just for you and your soul mate—even if you are not lucky enough to find them in life, they are with you in death. _If _you get to Heaven, that is.

And in my Heaven…I saw my soul mate.

And his name was Jonathan Samuel Kent.

The son of Superman.

What a stroke of luck, right?

In my Heaven, Jon and I spent whole days together. We swam, he took me flying, I taught him how to speak Arabic, we both learned the Kryptonian language. At nights, we would lie together and sleep and do other things, things that made my face go red and my insides coil.

That was my Heaven.

Now, logic would dictate that if I myself loving a male in my Heaven, then I must clearly like men. Sadly, Pit madness did not function by any type of logic, so I was stuck in this infernal dance with the voices in my head and I would be for the rest of my life.

It sucked.

“You know something?” Todd tapped a finger against my skin. “I think Jon would absolutely love to meet you.”

“Mmm.” I considered. The thought had some merit to it. “Perhaps he would. Sadly, I doubt we could pull that off without someone suspecting something.”

“Never know,” Cain said optimistically. “Miracles happen. Have pulled miracles off before.”

“Thank you for your confidence, Cain.” I felt my stomach gurgle. “It appears I am hungry. What are the odds of eating a quick breakfast?”

“Alfred’s got you covered,” Todd told me. “He made three whole chocolate cinnamon cakes yesterday.”

_Allahu akbar. God is good._

“Excellent.” I sat up. “Will you come and eat with me?”

“Of course.” Cain pressed a kiss to my forehead. “What is family for?”

**_You liked that, did you not? _**_‘Um _snickered.

Shut up.


	9. Uh Oh, Did I Steal Your Revenge?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara heads out angry and comes back confused and nauseas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter today, but hey, I've broken my record! More coming up next update!

**Kara Danvers**

My tears were practically blinding me as I flew through the air, the Bioship barely a nanosecond behind me.

All I wanted was to use my super speed to get there sooner, so I could get my hands on those damn Reach sentinels’ heads and throw them into a wall.

_How dare they take the people I loved away from me!_

Beside me, Clark glanced over. His face was a mixture of absolute rage and overwhelming restraint. I knew how he felt. It was an effort to keep the blinding fury in my chest at bay, to keep myself from screaming and tearing apart everything in my path to get to those fucking aliens and—!

I would not kill. I would not compromise my morals and kill.

But I could still put those sentinels in a world of hurt.

_We are almost there _M’gann said through the mind link. _Be at the ready everyone. No doubt the Reach have picked up on our signal by now. We need to be prepared for counterstrikes._

Oh, I was _more _than ready for a counterstrike. My eyes were practically steaming with the heat from my lasers.

_There! _On my other side, Mia pointed at the ground. _I can see the cave entrance!_

She was right. It wasn’t totally obvious, but Kryptonian vision is better than regular human vision, so I was able to make it out. Oddly enough, there weren’t any guards stationed outside. Weird. I’d never fought the Reach personally—Hell, I’d only woken up two years ago—but Jaime had told me that they were super detail-oriented. And judging from what had happened to him, I believed him.

So why were there no guards?

Well, guess we’d find out.

The Bioship came in for a landing in front of the entrance, completely visible—no real point in concealing ourselves, they most likely knew we were here.

Those of us who could fly—Lilith, J’onn, M’gann, Garfield in hawk form, Clark, Chris, Connor Kent, myself, Natasha, Mia Kent, Bizarro, John Stewart, Hal, Guy, Kyle, Jaime, Giovanni, Zatanna, Traci, Carter, Shiera, John Smith, Nathaniel, Karen, Augustus, Raquel, Virgil, Courtney, Billy, Mary, Freddy, Darla, Ted, Violet, Diana, Nubia, Donna, Grace, Cassie, Artemis Grace, Essence, Victor, Rachel, and Kori—touched down beside the Bioship. Our resident speedsters—Jay, Barry, Wally, and Bart—screeched to a halt to our right. The rest—Ed, Tye, Asami, Oliver, Dinah, Roy, Will, Jim, Artemis Crock, Mia Dearden, Cissie, Connor Hawke, Jefferson, Mal, Arthur, Kaldur, Wynnde, Garth, Tula, Dolphin, La’gaan, Artur, Tatsu, Brion, Tara, Fred Bugg (with two G’s), and Rose—spilled out of the Bioship.

I winced. That must have been one tight squeeze.

_All right. _Diana clapped her hands together. _We go in in a five-point arc. Maneuver six. Everyone go!_

Despite the tight space, we managed to struggle into position—Clark, Bizarro, Connor Kent, Chris, and I were in the front, since we were basically invincible and could warn the others if there was something wrong.

_Move! _Diana ordered, and we advanced into the cave.

It got dark very quickly, and while my family would be okay, the others would struggle.

_ekaM sllab fo thgil, _Zatanna chanted. Immediately, balls of multicolored light danced around us, illuminating the walls, the stalagmites, and the stalactites.

_Light up ahead _Bizarro grunted, gesturing ahead.

He was right. The cave leveled out and I could see the entrance to a cavern up ahead.

A cruel smirk flashed across my face. My fists clenched.

_Time for some payback._

My line stepped into the cavern—

Wait.

The _Hell _was _this?_

The cavern was completely empty, but there was writing on the walls in an odd green color.

_What does it say? _Chris asked.

I squinted—and froze.

_Rita Farr._

_ Steve Dayton._

_ Niles Caulder._

_ Cliff Steele._

_ Larry Trainor._

_ Martha Kent._

_ Jonathan Kent._

_ Karen Starr._

_ Jeremiah Danvers._

_ Eliza Danvers._

_ Linda Danvers._

_ John Irons._

_ Ted Kord._

_ Alberto Reyes._

_ Bianca Reyes._

_ Milagro Reyes._

_ Eduardo Dorado Senior._

_ Emily Sung._

_ Paula Nguyen._

_ Barbara Whitmore-Dugan._

_ Pat Dugan._

_ Mike Dugan._

_ Patricia Dugan._

_ Victor Vasquez._

_ Rosa Vasquez._

_ Eugene Choi._

_ Pedro Peña._

_ Gregor Markov._

_ Helena Sandsmark._

_ Adeline Kane._

_ Grant Wilson._

_ Joseph Wilson._

_ Silas Stone._

The names of our dead were written on the walls.

_What…what is this? _Clark shook his head. _What’s going on?_

Connor Kent shrugged. _Beats me._

_Wait! _I pointed at the center of the room, where a dark mass was stretched out. _What’s that?_

_ Let’s find out. _We all flew as far up as we could as the others came into the cavern.

_What do you see? _Brion asked curiously.

I glanced down—and immediately crashed to the ground, barely inhaling once before my breakfast came up my throat and out of my mouth.

_Rao—_that, it…

I couldn’t speak, couldn’t think, couldn’t do a damn thing other than retch and pray that what I saw was wrong.

Because arranged in the shape of an anatomically correct heart on the cavern floor were the bodies of the Reach sentinels we’d been after.

And they were…they were…

Disfigured.

Ruined.

_Mutilated._

I heard several screams of horror and poor Violet bursting into tears. Then warm, shaking hands were pressed into my back and I heard Clark mutter, “It’s okay, it’s okay. Just let it all out.”

When I’d finally coughed up the last of the bacon I’d had for breakfast, I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and looked up at my cousin. He seemed at a loss for words, looking just as horrified as I was.

_“What _the…_fuck _is _this?” _I panted.

“I don’t know.” Clark shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“God, this is _disgusting,” _Artemis Crock gasped. “Who on…what in…who _did_this?”

Good question.

Still a tad queasy, I picked myself up, taking off in the air so I could get a closer look at the…the bodies.

_Rao _it was even worse than I’d thought. _Someone _had done a _very _good job at destroying the Reach sentinels.

Two in particular caught my attention. One was impaled by one of their spears, its torso cut open and its inner workings twirled intricately around the spear in a complicated knot. Three hearts were in the front. The butt of the spear was sticking out of its ass.

_Disgusting._

The second one was just as bad. Its torso was also cut open, but its organs had all been impaled on its ribs like a shish kebab. Words in a language I didn’t recognize were carved into its arms and legs.

Oh, and the tip of a spear had been jabbed into its pelvic area. Like a dick.

_Macabre and awful._

_“Who did this?” _Diana roared. “Who _dared _desecrate these beings this way?”

That was a very good question. I hated the Reach sentinels with all of my being, and I _definitely _wanted to put them in a world of hurt, but _this…_

Had their crimes been so terrible that they deserved _this?_

A part of me screamed _no, _that this was wrong and horrible and something _no one_should have to endure.

But a small part of me, somewhere in the blackest part of my soul, whispered _yes._

“This is ridiculous!” Connor Kent’s eyes were bugging out of his head. “What kind of person would do something this bad?”

“I think,” Jaime started, swallowing hard, “that we just found where the Gotham City Demons were last night.”

The words rocked me to the core.

The Demons had done _this?_

Mia Kent groaned loudly. “Remind me _again _why we’re doing this?”

I shook my head at her. “The League set a watch over Gotham City so we could catch the Demons in action.”

“And then what?” Mia giggled. “Are we going to give them a big speech on friendship and how what they’re doing is wrong?”

“Something like that.” I raked my hands through my hair. “Rao, this is a disaster.”

“You pissed they took your chance at revenge?”

I glanced over at her. “You kiss your mother with that mouth?”

Mia wrinkled her nose. “I don’t _have _a mother.”

“You have Lois.”

“True. But I don’t kiss her.” Mia cocked her head. “She kisses me sometimes. On the head. It’s nice. Do you think I should try that sometime?”

“Go for it.” My stomach tightened as a memory rose to the forefront of my mind. “I used to kiss Mama on the forehead all the time.”

“Your _mother _mother, or your other mother?” Mia asked.

“Both.”

In all honesty, my memories of my mother were…blurred, somewhat. Maybe in all my years of stasis, my memory had slowly deteriorated. I couldn’t recall what her voice sounded like, what her favorite color was, how her touch felt. The only things I remembered were bright blue eyes like mine and a gentle smile.

Mama, on the other hand, I knew well. I’d loved her almost immediately when Linda found me and brought me home with her. She had pulled me into a hug immediately—I had felt more at home then and there than I ever had on Krypton.

I loved her very much.

And now she was gone.

I gnashed my teeth together, trying to fight the tears away.

“Shit.” Arms wrapped around me and Mia pressed her head into my collarbone. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

“I was sad anyway.” But I returned the hug, stroking Mia’s short locks. “Thanks. Sorry, I’m having a rough day.”

“Can’t say I blame you.” Mia shuddered. “Rao, I nearly pissed myself when I saw those sentinels…I can’t even _imagine _doing something that horrible.”

“It takes a special kind of person to do that.” I closed my eyes. The images were still burned into my mind. “I don’t understand what kind of mindset a person has to think that…that _torture _is acceptable.”

“Do you think…do you think that those people might do the same thing to us?” Mia asked worriedly.

“I doubt it. They only seem to hurt criminals—and they avenged our loved ones _for us. _Something tells me they don’t want to hurt us. Don’t worry,” I soothed. “We’re safe.”

“Okay.” Mia relaxed. “Only if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

I looked over Mia’s head at the expanse of Gotham City, covered by clouds. It would rain soon.

“Come on.” I patted my cousin on the head. “We’d better get going—otherwise we’ll be patrolling in the rain.”

“Do you really think we’ll find them?” Mia pulled away to hover next to me on top of the Wayne Enterprises skyscraper—the largest building in Gotham City.

“We’ll find something. They’re right under our noses—all we have to do is snuff them out.”

Hopefully it would be easier done than said.


	10. Great Gruesome Gore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis gets bad news and more bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news: Jade. Bad news: more gore.

**Artemis Crock**

_Okay, so our first stop is the Pennyworth Orphanage of Gotham City because why now?_

_Look, the Demons killed Jacob’s father, right? It stands to reason that they’ve killed other bad parents too. _I brushed a strand of hair away from my face. _In any case, someone in here must have seen something. And it’s better than going around knocking on people’s doors._

_I think I would prefer knocking on doors. _M’gann shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself in her human guise. _This place is scaring me._

_Why? _I peered at the building. _It’s a nice place._

The building itself was massive—twelve stories high and wider than a skyscraper. It was a beautiful brick, painted over with intricate flowers and patterns. The doors were a gentle wood, well taken care of. Rose bushes wrapped around the perimeter. It looked like a place I would have liked to live as a kid.

_Sure, it looks nice, but what if the people inside are evil? _M’gann pointed out.

_According to the GCPD the Waynes rule this place with an iron fist _I countered. _The last guy who hurt a kid got fired…and then brutally murdered._

_By the Demons?_

_Probably. They seem to have it out for people who hurt children. _I grabbed my friend’s hand and dragged her to the steps. _Come on!_

_I still think this is a bad idea _M’gann muttered, but she let me pull her along.

The doors opened into a beautiful wood lobby. Soft-looking couches were arranged around a fireplace that crackled warmly. A wooden desk stood to our immediate right with a fresh vase of roses on it. Seated at the desk was a teenager with bright green hair and several piercings on his ears.

“Excuse me?” I rapped on the desktop.

The teen looked up and grinned. “Hi there!” He had a strong Gotham accent. “I’m Coll. How can I help you?”

“Hey.” I grinned, glad he wasn’t immediately kicking us out. “I’m Artemis Crock and this is my friend Megan Morse. We’re college students from Stanford.”

“Stanford?” Coll gave us the thumbs up. “Sweet!”

“We are here to do a report on the Wayne Foundation and its benefactors,” M’gann chimed in. “We were wondering if we could speak to some of your residents? If it is not too much trouble, that is, we do not want to intrude—”

“No, no, you’re cool.” Coll stood and walked around the desk. “Follow me.”

_That was easier than I thought _I said to M’gann.

_How strange that they have such lax security _M’gann mused. _I wonder what that is about?_

“Why don’t you guys have security here?” I asked Coll as he led us through a door and into a hardwood hallway lit by fake scones on the walls.

“Oh, believe me, we do,” Coll chuckled. “Every kid here takes a mandatory self-defense class. Our kindergarteners can take down a man the size of Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson.”

M’gann’s eyebrows shot up. “Interesting.”

“Not to mention we’ve got our own guardian angels.”

_That _caught my attention. “Guardian angels?”

“Yeah.” Coll glanced back at us. “Oh, right. I forgot—you’re not from around here. You probably don’t know about our Demons.”

“Your Demons?”

“Yeah, well. The kiddos call them the Gotham City Demons—older people call them the Knights. They watch over Gotham City at night—take care of bad guys and whatnot.”

“Really? Do you know what they look like?” M’gann asked.

Coll shook his head. “No one does—or if they do, they’re not telling. The Knights like to be left in shadow—they made me swear not to publicly spread my story around—on social media or the news or the police. I could tell my friends and stuff.”

“You _saw _them?” I gasped.

“Oh, yeah. A lot of us here did.”

_I told you so _I shot at M’gann, then said, “What happened?”

We stopped in front of a glass door that led into a beautiful atrium practically drowning in plants with a working fountain in the middle. It was lit by fluorescent lights—Gotham wasn’t known for its sunlight. Kids of all ages were running around there, playing or sitting and talking or smelling flowers.

“Promise not to include this in your paper?” Coll asked, facing us. “Seriously, you can’t tell _a single soul.”_

“Our lips are sealed,” M’gann promised.

“Good.” Coll took a deep breath. “My dad and mom were extremely abusive. They treated me like shit. Used me for, um…sexual pleasure and whored me out for money.”

_Mẹ của Chúa._

“Oh, I am so sorry!” M’gann whispered, her hands covering her face.

Coll shrugged. “Thanks. I’m doing better now. We have an awesome therapist that works here who’s helped me a lot.”

“But what did the D—Knights have to do with anything?” I asked. Knights sounded a bit more reasonable than Demons. “What did _they _do?”

“I’m getting to that.” Coll scrubbed his face with one hand. “So, I’d heard from my friends about the Knights and what they did. I didn’t really think it would work, but I bought a plastic bat at the convenience store and hung it outside my window.”

M’gann and I leaned forward.

“That night, my mom was…visiting me when the window slid open and three figures came in. One was really tall and really buff with dark blue eyes, one was also buff but smaller with purple eyes, and the last one was toned but smaller than the other two with orange eyes. The blue-eyed one grabbed my mom and yanked her out the window while the orange-eyed one asked me what was going on. I told them and the purple-eyed one went and grabbed my father. Then they disappeared with my parents and I never saw any of them again—_alive, _that is.”

“But you know what happened to your parents, right?” M’gann pressed. “I mean, they did not just _disappear, _right?”

“Oh no, I found out what happened to them all right.” Coll grimaced. “The next morning, the police came to my door. They told me my parents were dead and that they were here to take me to the orphanage. But they showed me pictures of my parents and asked if I knew who’d done it.”

“And what did you say?” I asked.

“I told them it was nobody I knew and left it at that.”

“How did your parents die?” M’gann squeaked.

“Oof.” Shawn grimaced again. “It was _disgusting. _They were dangling by their tongues from a lamppost. Their guts had been taken out and tied in this weird knot. I mean, I’m not going to say they didn’t have it coming, but that was _brutal.”_

I swallowed. “That’s awful. And you say other kids here have had the same thing happen to them?”

“Yep. And all of us are better off for it.” Coll gestured to the atrium doors. “You guys can head on inside. I’ve got to get back to the front desk. Enjoy yourselves!”

With that he turned and strode back down the hallway.

_I think I am going to be sick _M’gann muttered.

_These D—Knights don’t mess around _I agreed. _Come on, let’s go see what else we can find out._

I pushed the atrium door open and we walked in.

A few heads turned our way but we were ignored for the most part as we made our way through the atrium. A group of kids were running around. They seemed to be split in two, some fleeing the others chasing.

“Why hello there!”

Two teenagers were sitting on the edge of the fountain, waving at us. One was a boy and one was a girl, both with brown hair and tan skin.

I glanced at M’gann, who shrugged. We walked to them.

As we approached, I noticed something about the girl. Her skin had strange patches that were a shiny pink. It gleamed in the light of the fluorescent bulbs high above us. Odd. It looked familiar…

It was only when we were standing in front of the two and I saw the skin up close that the realization hit me.

_Those were third-degree burn scars._

“It’s okay,” the girl said, waving a hand. “They’re not recent.”

Oh no, _I’d been staring._

“I am _so sorry,” _I gasped, holding up my hands. “I wasn’t—I mean, I’ve had burn scars—I didn’t mean to—_so sorry—!”_

“Hey, no worries!” the girl chuckled. “Everyone does it—you can’t help it.”

“False. We _can _help it—we simply do not.” M’gann shook her head. “I am so sorry—our intention was not to be rude.”

“I know, I know, I know. Everything’s fine, really!” The girl held out her hand. Her ring and pinkie finger were the same pinkish color. “I’m Eilanwy. This is my fiancé Taran.”

Taran smiled from beside her. “Howdy!” Both had the same accents as Coll.

“I’m Artemis and this is M’gann.” I shook Eilanwy’s hand. “Do you two live here?”

Taran pointed at Eilanwy. “She does. I just come to visit her. Keep her company.”

“How sweet.” M’gann clapped her hands together. “When is your wedding date?”

“Next December—we’re both graduating Gotham U. this year. I’m majoring in environmental studies. Taran’s in nursing,” Eilanwy said.

“They let you live here after you’re eighteen?” I was shocked. “I didn’t know orphanages did that.”

“This one sure does!” Eilanwy giggled. “I could have lived at the dorms, but I would have missed this place too much—I’ve lived here since I was twelve—ten whole years! It feels so weird to imagine being anywhere else.”

“That’s incredible,” I said honestly.

“Yeah. The Waynes spare no expense to keep us comfy.” Eilanwy raised an eyebrow at us. “What about you two? I don’t remember seeing you around here before.”

“We’re students at Stanford,” M’gann explained. “We came to do a report on the Wayne Foundation.”

“Well you’ve certainly come to the right place!” Taran gestured to the wide edge of the fountain. “Here, take a seat. We’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

M’gann and I sat.

The kids came running around the fountain—but this time they were close enough that I could hear what they were saying.

“Raaaaa!” one kid bellowed. “I am a Demon! I have come to punish the bad parents! You can’t hide because I will find you!”

“Eeeek!” another one screamed. “Run! Run, bad parents, or the demons will kill us!”

The rest of them shrieked and giggled as they sped away from the fountain and off to one of the nearby trees.

Taran and Eilanwy laughed. “Oh, I remember I used to play that all the time!” Eilanwy remarked, beaming. “Remember? You were always the Knight who came and rescued me!”

“And I always will!” Taran leaned in and kissed Eilanwy on the forehead.

“You know the Knights too?” I asked.

“Well yeah I do! They saved my life!” Eilanwy pressed her burned fingers to her lips. “If it wasn’t for them, I probably would have died!”

“Can you tell us?” M’gann leaned forward. “Coll told us his story, and we will not include it in our findings.”

“Oh, for sure.” Eilanwy sucked in a breath. “I lived with my adult brother when I was a kid—our parents were dead. He used to hit me with stuff. He sometimes lit my skin on fire for fun. It was awful. Then I heard the rumors about the Knights, and well, I had to try it. So I left a bat outside my window.”

She shuddered. “But my brother found it. He brought it inside and threw it into our fireplace. He told me that there was no escaping—but then two _huge _people with black and red eyes came in through the window! They grabbed my brother and dragged him out. The next morning the police told me that my brother had been burned to death and they brought me here.”

Eilanwy spread her arms wide. “And I’ve been here ever since.”

_Chúa Giêsu Kitô. Jesus Christ._

“That…” M’gann swallowed. “That is _terrifying.”_

“Yep,” Eilanwy sighed. “Nasty business. I can’t say I’m sad that he’s dead, but goodness, what a way to go.”

“And have…others had similar experiences?” I piped up.

“Oh yeah.” Taran raised his voice. “Hey, kiddos! Come tell these two nice young ladies your stories!”

The kids that had been playing came to pile around us. And I tried to hold back my vomit as they told me their tales.

Fflewddur, whose father had killed his whole family, was orphaned when his father was nailed to a wall of a warehouse.

Arawn, whose mother beat him, was orphaned when she fell from the top of the skyscraper where she worked.

Rhun, whose parents sold children as prostitutes, was orphaned when his parents were burned to death by acid.

Doli, whose grandfather raped several men, was orphaned when his grandfather was impaled by a flagpole.

And on and on and on.

By the time the last child Gwydion was through explaining his tale of his mother who sold ecstasy and was found overdosed on the stuff, and the kids scattered to get back to their game, I was trying to hold back my vomit.

“Are you all right, Artemis?” Eilanwy asked, placing a hand on my back. “You look sick.”

“No, sorry, I’m fine. I just…” I shook my head. “So much _violence. _Do these kids even _understand _what’s _happened?”_

Taran shrugged. “Some do, some don’t.”

“How have the police not _caught _these people?” M’gann asked. Her pale skin was flushed green. “I mean, is this not illegal?”

“Technically yes. But they do good, so nobody reports them. Plus no one’s seen them.” Eilanwy cocked her head. “I think there’s an official police report on them, but it’s never been solved because no police man has ever caught them. They leave no evidence behind—it’s like they really _are _demons.”

M’gann shook her head. “Do _you_think they should be caught?”

“Honestly? No.” Taran bit his lip. “I guess it would be nicer if they weren’t so, er…”

“Cruel?” I suggested.

“Something like that. But it’s a relief to a lot of us that those people can’t cause any more harm.” Taran brushed a hair from Eilanwy’s eyes. “I don’t know _how _I’d feel if I knew Eilanwy’s brother was still out there.” He looked me in the eyes. “Sometimes death is necessary to keep people safer, don’t you think?”

Before I could answer, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

“Excuse me.” Pulling it out, I saw it was a text from Will. Opening it, I scanned it quickly and—

My heart stopped.

**DadBod: Jade’s here.**

“We’ve got to go,” I told M’gann. “My sister wants to meet us.”

Taking the hint, M’gann nodded. “Yes.” She stood up, pulling me with her. “Sorry to cut this short,” she said to Taran and Eilanwy.

“Please, go ahead!” The couple waved. “Good luck with your paper!”

“Thanks! Congratulations on your engagement!” With that, M’gann ushered me out of the atrium.

_Let us get the Hell out of here _she hissed.

_The sooner the better _I agreed.

We passed Coll at the desk. He waved to us. “Nice to meet you! Hope you got what you needed!”

Oh, we had.

“Aunty Mouse!” Lian shrieked as I stepped out of the pantry, M’gann in tow. “Mommy’s here!”

“Yes,” I told my niece. “She certainly is.”

Jade was sitting at the kitchen table, her hands around a steaming cup of coffee. She was in sweats and a baseball cap, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her hair—

I raised an eyebrow. “You dyed your hair?”

Jade fingered the dark green strands at the end of her wild mane. “You like it? I figured it suited me.”

From the look in Will’s eyes as he gazed at his ex-wife, he thought it suited her too.

My sister nodded at me. “I see someone had the same idea.”

She was referring to the orange at the tips of my own hair. “Yeah. I got this done a year ago.” _While you were MIA _I didn’t add.

Jade must have gotten the message, because she cleared her throat uncomfortably turned to M’gann. “What about you? What’s with the baldness?”

M’gann raised her hands to touch her hairless head. “I am doing this to help one of my students. He has got leukemia right now, and he is self-conscious about his lack of hair. So I am going bald in solidarity.” She shrugged. “Positive body image and all.”

“Cool.” Jade took a sip of coffee. “So what’d you call me for? I’m guessing from the looks on your faces it isn’t because I missed a birthday.”

She did make it a priority to never miss a birthday. Or a holiday. She’d been here for Christmas and New Year’s while I was with _Mẹ._

Jade didn’t like to stay with _Mẹ _very much anymore. Maybe it had something to do with _Mẹ _being gone for so long—or maybe for how she let _Bố _raise us. _Father._

“Um, it’s hard to explain…” Will tried.

_“Bà ngoại _is dead,” Lian said solemnly. _Grandmother._

Jade’s eyes widened. _“What?”_

“Lian, could you give us a minute?” Will asked patiently.

Lian nodded ever-understandingly and left the room.

“Yeah.” I sat down across from my sister. M’gann stood behind me and rubbed my shoulders. _“Mẹ _died two weeks ago.”

Jade stared at the cup of coffee in her hands. “What…how did she die?” The words were flat. Blank.

“She was…” Will swallowed. “Her throat was cut. It was a murder.” Lian nodded.

_“Who.”_

“The Reach.” I exhaled harshly. “The Shadows.”

“I had nothing to do with it,” Jade said immediately. Her eyes were wide, shining. “I didn’t know, I had nothing to do with it, I _swear.”_

“It’s okay.” Will rested a hand over hers. “We believe you.” Jade didn’t pull away, instead leaning into the touch. “That’s not why we need your help.”

“If you want me to get revenge, then don’t worry. I’m already planning on it,” Jade growled.

I raised an eyebrow. Huh. Jade apparently cared more about our mother than I’d thought.

“That’s just it—they’ve already been avenged.” I looked my sister in the eye. “What do you know about the Gotham City Demons?”

Jade blinked. “The what now?”

“Or Knights. They are known by both.” M’gann squeezed my shoulders. “They are serial killers from Gotham. They have brutally murdered criminals. They slaughtered the Reach sentinels responsible for the death of your mother. Do you know anything about that?”

My sister bit her lip. “I…don’t know anything about any Demons or Knights, but I do know that the League of Assassins has lethal enemies in Gotham City.”

Will pursed his lips. “Can you tell us anything about them?”

“I don’t know much,” Jade admitted. “All I know is that Ra’s al Ghul has a personal vendetta against them. And that Talia al Ghul is obsessed with them. David Cain also seems to be pretty pissed at them. Beyond those three, nothing.”

“If these guys are enemies of the Assassins, then they must be on our side, right?” M’gann asked.

“They butchered the Reach sentinels for us,” I reminded her. “They clearly hold no ill will against us.”

“I’ll try and investigate on that front,” Jade promised. “But I don’t want to go digging too deep. The al Ghuls are very private people—and Cain’s an obsessive maniac. Plus, if these so-called Knights are enemies of the Assassins, they might not take to kindly to me butting into their business.”

“Don’t stick your neck out any more than you have to,” Will told her. Jade smiled a small smile at him.

M’gann sighed. “I am nervous about this. What if they try and hurt us as well?”

Jade snorted. “I doubt it. You’re the damn Justice League for crying out loud. It’d be suicide to try and take you on.”

“I don’t know.” I eyed my sister. “We know plenty of suicidal people.”

“Fair, fair.” Jade shrugged. “Just keep on your guard. What’s the worst that could happen?”

I swallowed.

I really wished she hadn’t said that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone can guess what book series the kiddos' names are from, I will write them a oneshot of their favorite OTP, no questions asked.


	11. Accidentally In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kon finds something he didn't expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOOO I'M ON A ROLL! CONGRATS TO ASTROREX FOR FIGURING IT OUT. JACOB WAS A BIBLICAL REFERENCE, CHAPTER 10 WAS THE CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN…WHAT SHALL I REFERENCE NEXT?

**Connor Kent**

For the love of Rao, this fucking _blows._

I don’t _want _to be here. I _want _to be back home with Clark and Lois and Biz and Kara and Nat and Mia and Chris and Jon having quality family time. Helping them grieve. Giving them love.

Where am I instead? On the corner of Ripper fucking Street and Dahmer fucking Avenue in the middle of Gotham fucking City.

I groaned, pushing a strand of hair out of my face. It wasn’t really possible for me to get cold—thanks, Clark, I owe you one—but the breeze was tickling my skin in a really annoying way and I wanted to go _home._

So I did what any douchebag teenager would do: I pulled out my phone and called Chris.

He picked up on the second ring. “Hey Kon. What’s up?”

“Bored as shit,” I grumbled. “How are things there?”

“Not well,” Chris said and my stomach twisted. “Nat had a breakdown. She’s currently cuddling with Mom, Kara, and Mia. They’re watching Rudolph.”

I blinked. “Valentino?” That was the only Rudolph I knew, and only then because Chris loved old movies.

“No, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. You know, that old puppet movie? They’ve been on a marathon for an hour now.”

“Huh. Good for them.” I eyed the people crossing the street. “You think if I told Nate that he’d let me come home?”

“Somehow I don’t think Cap Atom would be that nice,” Chris said dryly. “And you’re not trying to get out of patrol, are you? Because that’s really not fair.”

“It is _so _fair!” I protested. “I just lost the people I considered my parents! I’m grieving!”

“So is Jaime,” Chris countered. “And Kara. And Artemis. And Billy. And _they _all still went on patrol.”

“Oh fuck you.” I kicked the snow at my feet. “Way to make me feel like a piece of garbage.”

“You _are _a piece of garbage,” Chris retorted. “A piece of garbage straight out of the nineties.”

“Hey!” My hand flew up to touch my undercut. “It works for me! Chicks dig it!”

_“One _chick dug it. And M’gann’s Martian. She doesn’t count—she doesn’t really understand our culture.”

“She _totally _counts. And can we not talk about her? I don’t want to think about it.”

“Fine, sorry.” Chris blew out a breath. “Sheesh, she really fucked you up good, huh?”

“You said it,” I sighed.

“Sorry, bro.” Chris paused. “Look, the girls are calling me. Can I call you back?”

“Sure. Enjoy your Christmas movie veg sesh, even though I hate you for it.”

“Whatever. Peace man.”

“Peace.”

The line went dead.

I pocketed my phone and blew out a breath, watching it float away.

“I hate my fucking _life!” _I groaned, flinging out my arm—

And smacking someone right in the face.

“Eep!” whoever it was yelped.

Oh _great._

I turned around. “Sorry, didn’t see—”

My brain short-circuited.

_Holy crap._

He was _the most adorable guy _I’d _ever_seen _in my life._

The guy was slim, built with swimmer’s muscles, and maybe a few inches shorter than me. He had black hair dyed orange at the tips and pale skin. He was wrapped in a bulky black winter jacket and pants. His phone was on the ground.

“Um…h-hi,” I squeaked, my famed confidence and swagger failing me. “I am _so sorry, _I _totally _didn’t see you there…”

_Totally? _Who even said _totally _anymore?

“It’s cool,” the guy said, picking himself up off the ground. He reached for his phone—

“Here, here.” I bent over and scooped it up for him. “I got it.”

“Thanks,” he said, taking it from me with a smile. _Gosh, _he was pretty. “Got to say, you’re pretty strong. Do you lift or something?”

_More than you know. _“Uh, yeah.” I flexed my muscles. “Have to keep in shape somehow, you know?”

_Rao _that was cheesy. _What _the _fuck _was _wrong _with me?”

“Neat!” the guy chirped. “I work out myself. Unfortunately, I never seem to gain any muscle.” He flexed _his _muscles, though I couldn’t really see them through the bulky coat. “String bean for life I guess.”

“It works for you,” I blurted without thinking about it.

_What was that?_

“Thanks.” The guy blushed. “You’d be the first to think so.”

“Pssh. No way, man!” I scoffed. “You’ve got it going on—I bet half the people who meet you fall in love with you.” I sure am.

“Well, you certainly know the way to a woman’s heart.” The guy held out his hand. “My name’s Tim.”

“Connor.” I shook his hand, winking. “But you can call me Kon.”

Well _that _was just downright embarrassing.

“Okay then.” Tim raised an eyebrow. “So tell me, _Kon, _why does your life fucking suck?”

Oh, right, that was a thing I’d said.

I shrugged. “I’m just…waiting for someone. I don’t even know if they’ll show.”

“Date?” Tim asked.

“R—_God, _no.” Best not to mention Rao in front of a civilian. “Just a…work buddy.” If you could call a bunch of serial killers _work buddies._

“Well how about I treat you to some coffee to kill time?” Tim gestured behind him, where a Starbucks resided, only half-full.

“Absolutely not!” I pointed at him. _“I _knocked _you _over—it’s only fair that _I _pay.”

“Tell you what—we’ll compromise. I’ve got a gift card and you can pay for the rest. Deal?”

“Deal,” I agreed.

Tim led me into the Starbucks and up to the register, where a small, thin lady was waiting.

She smiled at us as we approached. _“Annyeonghaseyo Tim! Pyeongso-e iss-eulkkayo?” Hello Tim! Will it be your usual?_

_ “Ye.” _Tim turned to look at me. “What do you want?” _Yes._

“Mint latte with three shots of espresso,” I rattled off immediately.

“Wow, that was fast.” Tim raised an eyebrow. “Is that your favorite or something?”

“No, that…”

The words died on my tongue.

_That was what M’gann always made me buy._

My hands started shaking.

“Kon?” Tim pressed a hand against my shoulder. His fingers were cold. “What’s wrong?”

“I…” I didn’t know what to say. It was like my brain was slowing down.

“Kon, Kon, talk to me. Are you okay?”

_No. No I did not want a mint latte with three shots of espresso._

But I had to get one.

I _had _to.

Didn’t I?

“Hey.” Tim’s voice was soft, soothing. “Do you not want a mint latte with three shots of espresso?”

No! I wanted to scream. No, I didn’t want a mint latte with three shots of espresso!

But I couldn’t say that.

I had to get a mint latte with three shots of espresso.

Right?

“Kon?” Tim sounded concerned.

_“No!” _I gasped loudly. _“No I don’t want a mint latte with three shots of espresso!”_

Rao, just _saying _the words hurt my chest.

A few patrons turned to look at me. I sank to my knees.

“Kon.” I felt a body close to me and hands cupped my cheeks. “What’s the matter? Talk to me. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”

Tim was looking me right in the eyes. He had pretty light blue eyes, like a cloudy color.

Rao damn me, I wanted to kiss him.

“I don’t know what I want,” I whispered, leaning into his touch. “I don’t know what I want.”

“Well, that’s an easy fix.” Tim smiled at me and stood up, pulling me with him. “Take a look at the menu. There’s a _ton _of options.”

Swallowing, I looked at the menu. Just _seeing_all the options made me dizzy.

“What do you get?” I asked Tim weakly.

“Hot chocolate,” he told me.

“Then I’ll get that. Please.”

Tim nodded and turned back to the lady. _“Kon-eul-wihan has chokollis hanajuseyo.” One hot chocolate for Kon, please._

_“Mullon,” _the lady said. _“Dangsin-ui chong-gyenuen ilheun ilheun yeodeolb-ibnida.” Absolutely. Your total is fifteen seventy-eight._

_“Gamsa.” _Tim reached into his pocket and pulled out a gift card. “This has eight fifty on it. You got the rest?” _Thanks._

“Sure.” I pulled out a five and two ones, scrounging up a quarter and three pennies. My hands were still shaking. I handed them over to the lady who smiled gently at me.

“Come over here.” Tim pulled me to the opposite end of the counter where we could watch our drinks being made.

“What language was that?” I asked—partly because I was curious and partly because I was trying to distract from my embarrassment.

“Korean.” Tim sucked his cheeks in. _“Ko bu-in _is an old friend of mine. She’s known me since I was eight.” _Mrs. Ko._

“But where did you learn it?” I pressed. There certainly wasn’t any Korean teacher in Smallville.

“I’m Korean.” Tim grinned at me. “I know. Most people get confused by the eyes.”

“Not what I was thinking, but okay.”

“Tim! Kon!” Another worked placed two steaming cups down in front of us.

“Come with me.” Tim grabbed his cup and made a beeline for the corner booth, which was empty. I swiped my own cup and followed him.

We sat on opposite ends of the booth. Tim immediately sipped at his hot chocolate and sighed. “Ah. That’s nice.”

I took a sip of mine and was immediately blown away by the sweetness. “Wow. That is…really good.”

“You mean you’ve never had hot chocolate before?” Tim looked totally blown away. “Why not?”

“Um…” I swallowed. “See…my ex was, um, very set in her ways. She wanted me to do things a certain way, and so that was how I did stuff. A mint latte with three shots of espresso was the favorite drink of her favorite show’s main character’s love interest, so that was what she ordered for me. I guess I just kind of…went with it.”

“Goodness, that sounds awful,” Tim remarked. “Do you even _like _mint lattes with three shots of espresso?”

“No,” I admitted. “It’s honestly nasty.”

“Ugh.” Tim shook his head. “That would explain your crisis.”

I flushed. “Sorry.”

“Hey, no worries. I _get _it. I _more _than get it.” Tim shuddered. “I’ve been in more than a few bad relationships in my time—so have a bunch of my siblings. Trust me when I tell you that you have _nothing _to be embarrassed about.”

“Yeah? How many times have you or your siblings had a breakdown in public?” I challenged.

“Oh Jesus, too many to count. There’s the time Dami bit a reporter,” Tim counted off his fingers. “And the time Jay had a brawl with a soccer mom in a Wal-Mart over some lemonade. And the time Babs broke a door off its hinges and threw it at a criminal. And the time—”

“Okay, okay, I get it!” I said, holding up my hands. _Rao. _“Your family sounds like a piece of work.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Tim muttered darkly. “So, this ex of yours. What made you break up with her, may I ask?”

“You’re good, man. Really. I just…” I stared at my hot chocolate. Took a big gulp. “She was manipulating me from the get-go. I mean…I was having an identity crisis for a while there, and she kind of molded me into her ideal man. You saw with the mint latte with three shots of espresso, but…I got into football because of her. I watched her favorite show obsessively just because she liked it. I had to even _dress _a certain way. She made me grow my hair out.” I rubbed the shock of hair parted to the left of my face. “I only recently got this look back.”

“It looks really good on you, if that helps,” Tim offered.

I shot him a grin. “Thanks.”

“So I take it you’re not too fond of everything she had you do?”

_“No!” _I groaned. “I don’t even _like _football—I _hurt _people, people who hadn’t done a _damn thing _to me! And I _hate _Hello Megan! It makes _absolutely zero sense _to me! And I _despised _those baggy clothes! I want it to be form fitting! I’m _not _some emo Goth loner!”

“Definitely not.” Tim eyed me. “And I see you’ve gone back to the skin tight thing, judging by all that leather.”

“What can I say?” I flipped the collar of my leather jacket. “Chicks dig it.”

“Not just chicks, I assure you,” Tim told me, his cheeks turning a little red.

“Good to know.” I winked, made finger guns at him, and _Rao _I was _pathetic. _At least Tim laughed.

“So if you don’t like football or Hello Megan! or baggy clothes, what _do _you like?” he asked.

“Honestly?” I tilted my head, taking another gulp of hot chocolate. “I like science. Physics is really interesting to me. And I’m more of a fan of sci-fi movies—I’m a die-hard Trekkie. And, well, you know me and leather.”

“I do.” Tim grinned slyly at me. “Tell me, Kon, do you drive a motorcycle?”

I faked a gasp, putting a hand over my heart. “How did you know?”

Tim laughed, and the beautiful noise made something in my chest flip. “Wild guess. You’d like my brothers and sister—Cass and Jay drive motorcycles too. Dami wants to, but he’s too young.”

“Your siblings have good taste,” I told him.

Tim toasted me with his cup. “Cheers.”

“So.” I leaned over the table. “So, so, _so, _Timmy boy, what do _you _like?”

“Well, I’m an enormous STEM fan—I have a whole workshop in my basement where I make things explode.” Tim sipped at his hot chocolate. “And sci-fi is my _absolute jam_—I’ve got so much merchandise my room is practically choking with the stuff. And I’d walk around in my PJs if it wasn’t the middle of winter.”

“Well, _someone _doesn’t seem to care about societal definitions of beauty,” I teased.

“Hey, you think _I’m _bad?” Tim grimaced. “My brother walks around in a _leotard and tights _on his days off. He’d probably wear it out in public if it wouldn’t cause a riot.”

“Is it because he’s got a great ass?”

“Like you wouldn’t _believe.” _Tim paused. “Platonically, of course.”

“Dude, I get it. One of my friends has the arms of a god and if I didn’t have, like, zero interest in him, I’d _totally _smash that.”

“Good to know I don’t have to compete against him.” Before I could respond to that, Tim went on, “Jay also has _great _thighs. Like, he can’t go out in public in tight clothing without someone catcalling him.”

“Yeesh.” I winced. “Poor Jay.”

“Right?” Tim shook his head. “Sometimes it pays to be unattractive.”

“You’re _not _unattractive,” I told him. “In fact, I’d pick you over your brothers _any _day of the week.”

“Oh.” Tim ducked his head. “Thank you.”

“Hey, don’t sell yourself short.” I reached over and cupped Tim’s chin, tilting his head up to meet my eyes. His face was bright red. “Don’t sell yourself short. You’ll have men and women and whoever else literally _throwing _themselves at you, just you watch. Okay?”

“Okay,” Tim said meekly.

“Believe in yourself,” I said gently. “Trust me, you’re absolutely stunning. Don’t ever forget it. Got it?”

“Got it.” Tim leaned into my touch. “Thanks, Kon.”

“Don’t mention it. A thank you for handling my freak-out.”

“Hey, I’ll handle your freak-outs any day.”

“Ditto.”

I let him go and we finished our hot chocolates in silence. Then Tim brought them to the trash and we stepped back out into the snow.

“Here, let me see your phone.”

I handed my phone over and watched Tim type something into it.

“My phone number,” he explained, passing it back. “Maybe we can do this again sometime.”

“Yes, please! I mean, that’d be great,” I amended, trying not to sound too eager.

“Hmm.” Tim smiled, then leaned up and _kissed my cheek._

Every gear in my body screeched to a halt. It was like every nerve ending in my body was on fire.

His lips were chapped. His touch was light.

“It was nice meeting you, Kon,” he told me before strolling down the street and away from me.

I stood there, staring after him and trying to remember where I was and what I was supposed to be doing. I knew my name—he’d just said it. But everything else was a total blank.

_What _the _Hell _had just _happened?_

“Welcome back,” Nat called as I shrugged off my jacket. She sounded stuffed up, and I guessed she’d been crying recently. “How’d patrol go?”

“I didn’t find anything.”

“Oof.” Kara didn’t look away fro the TV screen. “That sucks.”

“Yeah.” I bit my lip. “I also…um…kind of went on a date.”

Complete silence. The only sound was some hokey old actor on the TV singing some song about being Mr. White Christmas.

“YOU WENT ON A _DATE?” _Mia shrieked.

Suddenly I was surrounded by eight people—the girls, Chris, and Jon and Clark and Biz, who hadn’t even been in the room. They were all talking at one hundred miles per hour.

“Time out!” I yelled. “Slow down!”

“Tell. Us. _Everything,” _Lois demanded.

“Yes, tell us about your date!” Jon was jumping up and down. “Tell us tell us tell us!”

Ah, my family. Ever eager for tea.

I smiled and told them everything.

Later I was sprawled on my bunk bed—I slept above Biz. I was staring at my phone, at the newest message that had popped up.

It was from Tim.

**TimmyBoy: I had fun today. See you later alligator?**

I beamed at the cheesy line.

**Kon: Me too. In a while crocodile.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Tim Drake is Korean and no, I am not sorry. TIMKON FOR LIFE.


	12. Nightly Anxieties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate and Bruce have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, guys, have some (platonic) cousinly snuggling time.

**Kate Kane**

I was just pulling on my nightgown when I heard the thump.

It had come from Bruce’s room.

Sighing, I stalked out of my bedroom and toward his.

If that _tipesh _had walked into a wall again, I swore to myself that I would drug his next meal with sedatives if it got that man a good night’s sleep.

“Bruce.” I pushed his door open. “Why are you thumping around this late at—?”

_SHIT._

Bruce was curled up on the ground, completely naked. He was clawing at his face frantically, like there was something crawling under his skin.

_“Shit!” _I cursed.

Dropping to my knees beside him, I grabbed his shoulders. “Bruce, Bruce, _Bruce. _It’s okay. It’s _okay.”_

_“No,” _he whimpered, trembling all over. “No, please no more, it hurts, it _hurts, _make it stop…Mother, Mother _help _me, Father, _please _make it stop…”

“Hey, _hey.” _I pulled Bruce’s head into my lap and stroked his hair. “Hush, Bruce. It’s okay, you’re okay.”

“Mother,” he chanted. “Mother. Father. Mother. Mother. Mother. Father. Mother. Mother. Mother. Father. Mother.”

“Damn it, Bruce, work with me here.” I pressed a hand to his forehead, feeling the sweat soak my hand. “Come on, you’re all right.”

“Uncle, _please…”_

Ice spread through my veins. My hands froze. The saliva in my mouth dried up.

_Uncle Philip._

_ That utter bastard._

“Come on, Bruce,” I whispered, trying to push away the memories of fat, hot hands, touching me there and there and _there… _“It’s okay. He’s dead. Uncle Philip’s _dead.”_

“No…” he whispered. “No, _please…”_

“Fuck,” I mumbled.

Maybe I should have gone to get Alfred—he was always the best at handling Bruce’s panic attacks—but he was down in the Batcave writing up final reports and talking to Harper and Claire and Duke as they got ready for their patrol time, and I was afraid to leave Bruce alone for that long.

So I did the only thing I could think of. I began to sing.

_Yonatan Hakatan_

_Ratz baboker el hagan_

_Hu tipes al ha’etz_

_Efrochim chips_

_Oy va voy lo la shovav_

_Chor gadol bamichnasav_

_Min ha’etz hitgalgel_

_V’onsho kibel_

_Little Yonatan_

_Ran to the garden in the_

_Morning_

_He climbed the tree_

_He searched for baby birds_

_Oy va voy, that naughty one!_

_He has a big hole in his pants!_

_He rolled out of the tree_

_And received his punishment!_

I knew this song well. Bruce _loved _this song. _Doda _Martha used to sing it to us when we were young. Just the sound of her pretty voice was enough to lull me to sleep. _Aunt._

Hopefully it would be enough to calm Bruce down too.

It took a few repeated rounds for Bruce to stop clawing at his face. Another two for him to stop talking. By the time I’ve sung it through ten times he’s relaxing, although he’s still shaking.

“Kate,” he rasped after I finished the eleventh round.

“Welcome back,” I said, letting the relief flood through my voice. “You all right?”

“My head hurts. My face, I mean. My face hurts.”

“Yeah, you were trying to peel it off,” I told him.

“Fuck,” he groaned. His hands went up to bury themselves in his hair, brushing against mine. “How bad was it?”

“No one heard you but me,” I assured him. “You know, none of your kids would hold it against you if they saw you like this. They get panic attacks, they understand.”

“No, I can’t.” Bruce pulled away from me, pushing himself to his feet. “They’re my _kids, _I—I have to be _strong _for them—”

“Bruce Thomas Wayne, that is pure unadulterated _bullshit,” _I snapped. “They can _help _you. How many times have we comforted Alfred over the years?”

“A lot,” he admitted grudgingly. “You’re right, you’re right. I guess I just…I don’t want to…I’m struggling with the concept, okay?”

I sighed. “Bruce, you randomly go into their rooms and cuddle with them on your bad nights. Trust me, a panic attack wouldn’t be much worse.”

“Look, can we not talk about this right now?” Bruce pleaded. His big blue eyes were shining with unshed tears. “I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“When do you ever?” But I relented, saying, “Fine. Go get in your pajamas.”

“Okay. Um…” Bruce fidgeted. “Will you stay with me tonight?”

“Of course,” I told him sincerely. “I wasn’t planning on leaving you anyway.”

My cousin smiled at me. “Thank you, Kate.”

“What’s a cousin for?”

Bruce disappeared into his bathroom while I made my way onto his king-sized four-poster canopied bed and made myself comfortable under the black silken sheets and comforter.

When Bruce came back out clad in boxers and a tank top and slid into bed next to me, I wordlessly opened my arms. We curled up together, arms around each other, foreheads pressed together, just like we had when we were kids.

When we were trying to recover from one of Uncle Philip’s visits.

_God. _I shuddered.

“What are you thinking?” Bruce asked.

I looked him right in his big blue eyes. “I’m thanking God that Bette was too young for Uncle Philip to hurt.”

“Oh _God.” _Bruce’s entire body shook. “I can’t…no, _Bette…”_

“I know.” I leaned up and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I know.”

My parents were killed and my sister was abducted when I was nine. That was when I’d come to live in the manor—with Bruce and Alfred and Julia.

That was when Uncle Philip started to hurt me.

He rarely visited—thank _God_—but when he came, he was merciless. He snuck into my room at night and…and he…

I gulped.

For as long as I lived, I would _never _be able to erase the feel of his fat sweaty hands touching me there and there and _there _from my mind.

All things considered, I was lucky. I only had to put up with him for two years. But Bruce…

Bruce’s parents had been killed when he was eight. That was when Uncle Philip started to visit _him. _Bruce had had to be hurt and used by our bastard uncle for _five years._

_ God. _I’d barely survived those two years, but to withstand _five…_

I glanced down at Bruce’s arm, watching as the moonlight from the uncovered windows illuminated the nasty red scars slashing all over his forearm.

No _wonder _Bruce had turned to cutting to relieve the pain.

He had stopped now, thank God. We had no razors in this house—everyone either used an electric razor or depilatory cream—and the knives were all locked up. Alfred had the only key.

We had done _everything _to make sure that Bruce never cut again.

“God, _Bette.” _Now Bruce’s _voice _was shaking. “She never would have made it. Not with _him.”_

Bright, brilliant Bette…

She had been born when Bruce was twelve and I was ten. She was only a year old when Alfred discovered what Uncle Philip had done to us. Only a year old when Alfred took Uncle Philip deep under the house, into what was now the Batcave, and butchered him.

Bruce and I had snuck down to watch, to see what Alfred was doing to our abuser. And watching the blood flow, watching it stain the metal floors…

We’d left the bloodstains there. As a reminder.

But I still thanked _God _that Bette hadn’t been able to be hurt by Uncle Philip.

“I wish…” I choked back a sob. “I just wish I could _see _her. One last time, you know? Tell her goodbye properly.”

“Yeah.” Bruce swallowed. “I wish we could have seen _all _of them…told them all how sorry I was…said goodbye…”

“It isn’t enough.” I tucked my head beneath Bruce’s chin. “Seeing them after. It isn’t enough.”

God. God. _God._

My parents.

My sister.

_Dohd _Thomas and_Doda _Martha. _Uncle._

Bette’s parents.

_ Julia._

_ Jim._

_ Jean-Paul._

_ Selina._

_ Little Helena._

_ Carrie._

_ Bette._

_ Lucius._

_ Tanya._

_ Tiffany._

_ Tamara._

_ Basil._

_ Hank._

_ Nell._

God, _so many _of our loved ones were dead.

Which reminded me—

“What are we going to do?” I whispered.

“About?”

“The Justice League. They’ve been monitoring the city for basically thirty-six hours. I almost had a run-in with Hawkman, and we know how Tim’s date with Superboy went.”

Hours earlier, Tim had come crashing into the house babbling on about how he and Connor Kent had gotten coffee together. Like a _date. _I honestly wasn’t sure whether to laugh about it, hunt Connor down and threaten him for dating my cousin, or have a nervous breakdown about it all.

“Oh, them.” Bruce exhaled, ruffling my hair. “I don’t know, honestly. I just…I guess we have to let this play out.”

“And if we get caught? We’re good, but we’re bound to get caught one of these days.”

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

I blinked. “Did…did you just quote Nick Fury at me?”

“Yes.” I could tell Bruce was smiling. I pinched his shoulder, giggling as he winced.

“But seriously, what’ll we do if we get caught?” I pressed. “We can kill our way out of a ton of situations, but killing a member of the Justice League isn’t exactly the best of plans.”

“We’re not going to kill a member of the Justice League,” Bruce said tiredly. “They aren’t our enemies. We have the same goal.”

“I doubt they see it that way.” I listened to the pounding of Bruce’s heart. “What if they try and take one of us?”

“Then we bust in and get them back.”

“You say that like it’s so simple.”

“It is. We’re stronger than they are.”

“Yeah,” I scoffed. “Stronger than the aliens who can bench press planets and tear people apart with their minds.”

Bruce sighed. “I meant mentally.”

“And what makes you say that, o wise one?”

“Because you have to have a certain type of strength to do what we do.”

Ah.

He meant in reference to the blood on our hands, of course. It took a special kind of person to end someone’s life.

Being blessed by Death helped, but still.

“Okay, I concede to that point and that point only.” I shifted a little. “But what if they try to kill us?”

Bruce huffed. “What, like it’s any different from any of the other people who have tried to kill us?”

Another fair point.

“Besides, they’re the Justice League. They’re the good guys. They’re…better. Purer. Not like us.”

Yeah, not like us. They were _nothing _like us.

“But—”

“Kate, _please.”_

His tone of voice had me looking up. His eyes were shining again and I realized he was as scared as I was.

Sometimes I forgot that Bruce wasn’t the stone-cold badass he pretended to be.

“Sorry,” I murmured, kissing his forehead again. “I’ll try to stop worrying so we can both get some sleep. Okay?”

Bruce smiled weakly. “Okay. Goodnight, _tipesh.”_

“Night, _tipesh.” _I let Bruce bury his face in my hair. I settled myself in his arms and tried to relax.

But it was a long time before either of us went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME I'D SPELLED WYYNDE'S NAME WRONG I AM SO ASHAMED.


	13. Hello, Alien Infiltrators!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barbara finds a new threat for them to brutally murder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOO CHAPTER 13! I'M ON A ROLL!

**Barbara Gordon**

_Tatoe sekai no subete no hito ga_

_Watashi o sagesumi waratte mo_

_Hitsuyou to shite kureru hito ga iru_

_Sore dake de shiawase datta_

_Even if the entire world_

_Laughed and despised me_

_I had a person who needed me_

_That’s all I need to be happy_

“Tim!” I banged on his door. “Tim, for God’s sake, turn that music down, I have to talk to you!”

“He’s not going to hear you, the music’s too loud,” Dick muttered beside me, one hand tapping against his thigh. “Just open his door.”

“Good point.” I pressed Tim’s number into the keypad. The door swung open and I poked my head in. “Timothy, you in—_fuck!”_

The _smell…_

“Oh, _God.” _Dick gagged. “Is that…is that…” He gagged again and asked me in Romani if that was maggot cheese.

“It _better _not be. Alfred will _literally _kill him.” I raised my voice. _“Timothy!”_

The door opened fully and Tim was standing there, enormous bags under his eyes. His teeth were chattering.

My eyes widened. “Tim,” I said slowly, _“please _tell me you didn’t just drink coffee.”

“No,” he squeaked. “But I did just get done having an anxiety attack about going on a date with Superboy.”

Ah. That explained it.

“Come here, Tim.” I held out my arms and Tim walked into me. Dick joined in on our hug, wrapping us both up in his long arms and tapping his fingers rhythmically against us.

“You good, Timmy?” I murmured into his soft hair.

“Not even a little.” Tim laughed hysterically. “I’m tied between freaking out because my superhero crush went on a date with me and freaking out because Superboy went on a date with me.”

That sounded almost the same, but I saw what he was getting at.

“Hey, on the bright side, it sounds like you charmed the pants off of him,” Dick offered.

“Oh my _God,” _Tim groaned. “I _dated Superboy.”_

“Put _that _on your resume.” I squeezed Tim’s shoulders. “You’re okay, Timmy, okay?”

“Yeah.” Tim sucked in a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

“Cool.” I let him go. “Can we come in?”

“Sure.”

We walked into Tim’s cluttered room, which _reeked _of bad cheese.

Dick muttered a prayer, hand plugging his nose. “Tim, _what _is that _smell?”_

He had to yell to be heard.

“Huh? Oh, I think I forgot to unpack that cheese sandwich I got from that new buffet we went to.”

“Tim, honey.” I could have slapped myself. “That was a literal month ago.”

“So?”

“So throw it out!” Dick gagged. “And get some damn air freshener while you’re at it!”

“Can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Can’t find it.”

“Jesus Christ, Timothy, _clean your damn room,” _I snapped.

“It’s clean!” Tim squawked.

Dick nodded pointedly at the pile of dirty underwear draped over a life size Spock action figure. “Sure it is.”

“Screw off,” Tim muttered.

Meanwhile, the music was still blaring.

_Minna minna imaku natte shimatta_

_Shiroi kami no watashi igai_

_Kanojo no kawari ni watashi ga shinaba_

_Yokatte no ni doushite doushite_

_Everyone everyone was gone_

_Except for myself with the white hair_

_I wish I could have died in your place_

_Why why_

_“Will you turn that down?” _I hollered. “I can barely hear you talk!”

“Fine, fine.” Tim grabbed his phone off of a pile of documents teetering on top of his desk and lowered the volume so that we could all speak normally. “Better?”

“Yes, thank you,” Dick breathed. “God, Tim, my ears are _ringing.”_

“Sorry,” Tim said, shrugging. “I like it loud.”

“You’re going to go deaf one of these days, you know,” I told him.

“I’m well aware. Now tell me, what’s so important you had to interrupt Daughter of White?”

“I’m glad you asked.” Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I pulled up my locator app. “I detected a shift in the ozone layer about half an hour ago.”

“Really.” Suddenly Tim was all business, leaning over. “What kind of shift?”

“The same kind there was back when the Reach infiltrated the planet.” Dick was leaning over my shoulder, staring at the screen. “My best guess is that another alien ship just landed somewhere around the New York City area.”

“You think it’s another Reach ship?”

“Could be.” I bit my lip. “I say we investigate. Send over a team and scour the place.”

“You sure about that?” Tim looked mildly disturbed. “That’s Titan territory. We’d be getting dangerously close.”

“We should be good. After all, we’re on the same side,” Dick pointed out. “But if we’re not sure, we don’t have to interact at all.”

“Good point.”

My phone buzzed, an icon popping up near the top of the screen.

“Looks like an ID.” I squinted. “The thing is…huh. I don’t recognize this tech. It’s not like any Reach ship I’ve ever seen.”

“I don’t know it either.” Tim gestured to the door. “Let’s run it through the Batcomputer to see if it recognizes anything.”

“What’s up, fuckers?” Harper asked, spinning around to face us. “You got something interesting?”

“You bet. Pull up a scan of NYC,” I told her. “Look for a spaceship.”

“Got it, boss lady.” Harper turned back to the Batcomputer, typing in a few commands.

“How you doing today, Harps?” Dick asked, reaching over and ruffling Harper’s multicolored hair. “Are the hallucinations too bad?”

Harper sighed. “Well, I was awake half the night listening to the sound of dripping water, so, you know, I’m _great.”_

Tim winced. “Sorry, Harper. Do you want us to call in some stronger meds?”

“I don’t want to go any higher than I am right now. Remember what happened the _last _time we tried to up the dosage?”

The last time Harper had asked for stronger psychosis medication, the results had been awful, to say the least. She hadn’t been able to keep down a single meal, her usual nausea got even worse, and she slept for eighteen hours at a time. Granted her hallucinations decreased significantly, but that was hardly an achievement given that she wasn’t awake long enough to enjoy the benefits. So back to a lower dose she went, which brought us to now.

“Look, guys, I’m okay, honest,” Harper told us. “I know the medicine can’t get rid of everything, and I’m dealing with it. Okay?”

“Okay.” I squeezed Harper’s shoulders. “We just want to help. You know that, right?”

Harper smiled up at me. “I know.”

The screen pinged, pulling up a list of schematics.

“Aha! Progress!” Harper peered at the screen. “Looks like—_shit.”_

“What?” Tim asked.

“Citadel tech,” Harper reported, rubbing a hand over her face.

“Citadel? Hmm.” Tim pursed his lips. “Citadel, Citadel…they’re enemies of the Tamaranians. They could be after Starfire again.”

“Good point.” I snapped my fingers. “Let’s send a couple people out there to check it out, see if it’s something we need to step in for.”

“Can I go?” Harper was squeezing her eyes shut now. “I want to go.”

“Sure. Hey, you okay?” Dick bent over and pressed a hand to Harper’s cheek.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just…I’m looking at Scarecrow’s face right now and it’s getting on my nerves.”

“Oof, that sucks,” Tim remarked. “But sure, you can go.”

“Go where?” Jason stepped down from the stairs, his curly hair bouncing. I could see the tattoos on his arms shining in the light.

“A Citadel ship landed in New York City,” I explained. “We think they might be here for Starfire. Harper’s going to investigate it.”

“Sweet! Can I go?” Jason grinned. “I’d _kill _for more aliens to beat up.”

“Sure. Just one problem.” Tim raised an eyebrow at him. “What if you hallucinate and accidentally wind up killing an innocent jogger?”

“That’s easy! Just send Harriet,” Jason said, waving a hand.

Harriet was one of the many, many, _many _bats who lived in the Batcave. The difference was that she was_trained._We’d taught her to follow us around with a video camera attached to her so we could keep an eye on our surroundings. It came in handy, especially when monitoring those of us with hallucinatory problems, like Harper and Jason and Claire.

“Exactly! Everything will be fine.” Harper grinned in our general direction. Her eyes were still squeezed shut.

“If you say so. But I’ll still have Luke fly you over, just to be on the safe side.” I blew a strand of hair out of my face. “Suit up when you can. You’re leaving in one hour.”

Jason saluted. “Yes ma’am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shortness, but something big is coming up, I promise! Also, for a complete list of the BatFam™'s mental illnesses, check out my Tumblr.
> 
> Fun fact! Harper's reaction to her heightened med dosage was actually MY reaction to hightened med dosage. It was really bad. I slept for eighteen hours a day for literal weeks. It SUCKED.
> 
> Also, anyone who gets what series that song is from gets a oneshot featuring their OTP.
> 
> And yes, that is Japanese. Tim listens to Japanese music. Sorry not sorry.


	14. Weird News, Good News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gar and his queen hang out. They meet some people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go Beastboyfan12345! Have some Garfield! I'll get more into his POV later, but I wanted to give just a quick excerpt of his mental state right now. Also I needed a good transition.

**Garfield Logan**

The rippling under my skin just got worse.

I couldn’t make myself stop shifting. Even for a minute. I _had _to keep myself moving. I just couldn’t stop.

Perdita didn’t seem to mind. She simply kept her hand on my fur or my skin or my scales or my hair of whatever form I was wearing.

“You are upset,” she said to me when I was in cat form.

I couldn’t speak any language she could understand, but I nodded.

Her fingers drifted over my fur and I purred, leaning into her touch.

“I know how you feel,” she murmured, scratching behind my ear. “When Papa and Mama died, I felt very sad. I did not want to wake up in the morning because I missed them so much.”

My skin rippled again and I was human and Perdita’s hand was on my back, soft and gentle.

“How did you do it?” I asked quietly. “How did you survive?”

Perdita pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I told myself that they would not have wanted me to spend my life mourning for them. They would have wanted me to live on. To rule with purpose, to help people, to find the perfect husband or wife or what have you.”

“Do…do you think they would have liked me?” I asked hesitantly.

“They would have _adored _you, my Beast Boy,” Perdita assured me.

I smiled. “I’m glad. And I know my mom would have loved you—Aunt Rita and Uncle Steve certainly did.” My heart stung at the thought of my foster parents—at the whole Doom Patrol. _“Damn.”_

My skin rippled again and suddenly I was a massive wolf—kind of like Wolf. I rested my head on Perdita’s lap, sighing softly as she stroked my head.

Someone walked into the living room of Mount Justice—Wally. It was Wally. He was frowning, talking quickly on the phone to someone.

“Yes, absolutely. No, no, I wouldn’t—yes, I got your list. Sure thing. Uh huh. Yep. On my way now. Yep. Okay. Love you too, Linda. Bye.”

He hung up and took a deep breath, running his free hand over his face.

“Is something the matter, Wally?” Perdita asked. I raised my head, tail wagging curiously.

“No, it’s nothing, Dita. It’s just…” Wally pursed his lips. “My first girlfriend’s sick with breast cancer and can’t take care of her kids right now. She needs me to do it for her and I’m nervous.”

“Wait, hold on.” I shifted back to human form. “I thought you were gay.”

“I am, but I didn’t know that when I was in kindergarten.” Wally ruffled his hair. “Linda was the only girlfriend I ever had, and we stayed best friends for a while after. Now she needs me to take care of her kiddos, Jai and Irey, for her.”

“What about the father?” Perdita asked and Wally made a face.

“Abusive. She’s got a restraining order out on him—he can’t get near her or the kids. Besides, I’m their godfather. I’m the best option.”

“Got you.” I nodded toward the Zeta Tubes. “Better get going then, Walls.”

“Yep.” Wally gave us a tired grin and flashed us a peace sign. “See you later.”

With that he sped off to the Zeta Tubes. The mechanical voice rattled off, “Recognized: Flamebird. A-02,” accompanied by a large flash of light.

Perdita shook her head. “I will never get used to that.”

“Me neither.” Another ripple and suddenly I was a snake. Slithering up Perdita’s torso, I wound myself around her neck like a hissing necklace.

My queenly girlfriend giggled. “Garfield, are you making an assassination attempt on your queen?”

I let my tongue flick out and licked her face.

“Ah ah ah!” Perdita pulled me off of her, settling me in her lap. She took my head in her hands and pressed her nose to mine—or rather, my nostrils. “I will have you beheaded for this, traitor!”

I switched back to human form and settled myself on her lap. “Big talk,” I teased and kissed her. She kissed back, and was licking her way into my mouth when someone cleared their throat.

Looking up, I saw Kori—and quickly averted my eyes from her extremely revealing outfit. Good grief, I understood that her race was different from humans, but did she really have to walk around with seventy-five percent of her boobs hanging out of her shirt?

I wasn’t a pervert—I only had eyes for Perdita, being demisexual and all that. But you couldn’t _not_see Kori’s generous assets, and quite frankly, it made me uncomfortable and embarrassed _for _her.

“I understand that the two of you are in a romantic relationship, but you are still below the Earthen age, and therefore I cannot condone this behavior,” she said in that soft way of hers.

“We were just kissing, Koriand’r,” Perdita protested.

But I got off her lap anyway. “Sorry, Kori.”

Kori chuckled. “It is all right. I know you cannot help it—teenage hormones. At least that is how Roy explained it to me.”

I couldn’t stop myself from wrinkling my nose.

Up until recently, Kori and Roy had been involved in what could only be described as the sexual relationship to end all sexual relationships. According to Mia Kent, Mia Dearden, Traya, and Rachel, they were extremely noisy—and kinky, both things I could have lived without knowing. But for whatever reason, they’d broken it off and now were uncomfortably close friends. By which I meant they were capable of looking at each other naked and _not _jumping each other’s bones.

All in all, ew.

“You are smiling,” Perdita noted. “Has something happened?”

She was right. Kori was positively beaming. “Yeah, what gives?” I asked, settling back down beside Perdita. “Is it your birthday?”

“No, no,” Kori laughed. “The date of my birth is not until October.” She’d decided that when we first met her three years ago. “But I have good news! My brother has come to visit me!”

I blinked. “You have a brother?”

“Yes!” Kori squirmed excitedly. “Ryand’r, or Darkfire in your language, has landed in Central Park in New York City! He wants to meet me there!”

“Neat!” I told her, grinning at her enthusiasm. “Will you bring him back to meet us?”

“Of course! You will have to be patient with him though. My brother can be very shy—but once he gets to know you, he cannot stop talking!” Kori sighed. “I have missed him.”

“Well what are you waiting for?” Perdita made a shooing motion. “Go get him! Enjoy yourself!”

“I will!” Kori waved to us as she flew for the Zeta Tubes. “See you later!”

“Later, Kori!” I called as the computer blared, “Recognized: Starfire. F-6.”

“That is exciting,” Perdita remarked. “I wonder what Ryand’r will be like.”

“Shy, but a lot like Kori, I’d guess.” I shuddered. “Hopefully with more clothes on.”

Perdita laughed. “One can only hope. So, now what do you want to do? Watch a movie?”

“Sure!” I grinned at my queenly girlfriend. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I believe I am,” she returned, smiling coyly.

“Peter Pan!” we both chanted at the same time.

God, I loved her so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it was so short again. But like I said, big things are coming! And yay, Ryand'r! He's a sweetheart in my opinion.
> 
> Also, Garfield's reaction to Kori's outfit is MY reaction to Kori's outfit. It weirds me out. I mean, all that skin showing—if I were her, I'd be mortified. No offense, but I might fix that later.


	15. A Death In The Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Koriand'r has a family reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, here's the big thing I promised!

**Koriand’r**

Humming to myself, I flew through the air, passing over Titans Tower and heading for Central Park. It was night out, and even though I couldn’t see the stars, I knew they were still shining above me.

They always shone in Ryand’r’s eyes.

_Ryand’r._

It had been _ages _since I had seen my baby brother’s face. When I had been…taken from Tamaran, he had only been seven years old. Now he would be sixteen—all grown up by Tamaranian standards.

I wondered what he would be like. Was he still the shy little male I knew from my youth? Or had he matured? Was his hair still short or had he grown it out like our father’s? Did he still have that heart-shaped birthmark on his left shoulder? Would he have a beard?

Goodness, I was _so excited!_

I was hovering over Central Park now, searching for any sign of my brother’s spaceship. Would it be Tamaranian, or perhaps some other type of technology?

A weak voice filled the air. “Kori…”

My heart soared. “Ryand’r?” I called. “Is that you?”

“Kori…Kori…Kori…”

Finally, I was able to pinpoint where Ryand’r’s voice was coming from—a small copse of trees in between two paths. Floating down, I landed just outside of it.

“Ryand’r!” I slipped between the trees, beaming as I caught sight of my brother’s form. “It is so sweet to see you, little brother! I have missed you so—!”

I screamed.

It was Ryand’r, but he had been _mutilated. _Gashes ran up and down his body, and the Tamaranian word for _traitor _had been carved into his forehead. He was on his knees, being held up by his hair. And the one who held him was—

My body seemed to freeze. _“Komand’r.”_

My treacherous older sister smiled cruelly. “Hello, Koriand’r. Have you enjoyed your time amongst the Earthlings? I imagine you have, have you not? Filthy whore.”

Fear took hold, terror grasping every bone in my body. I could not move, could not speak, could not _breathe._

Because Komand’r—

She had _tortured _me.

Tortured me and _laughed _about it.

“Kori…”

It was Ryand’r. His voice was weak. He reached out a trembling hand. “Help…m-me…”

I tried to make my arm move. “Ryand’r…”

I lifted my hand an inch. An inch.

That was as far as I got before Komand’r fired a starbolt through his heart.

The scream that tore from my throat was primal. Raging. _Painful._

_“RYAND’R!” _I wailed.

Komand’r let him go and I lunged, grasping him and holding him to my chest.

“Please,” I begged. _“Please, _Ryand’r, do not _go—!”_

It was too late. I could no longer hear Ryand’r breathing. He was gone.

Gone, gone, _gone._

“Oh please, like you ever cared for the little brat,” Komand’r sneered above me. “After all, what was his life even worth? _Nothing.”_

I clung to my precious little brother, shaking.

How could Komand’r _say_such things? Ryand’r had done _nothing _but love her. _I _had done nothing but love her! And now…

Now she had ruined us both.

_And she did not care._

“You should have _heard _him, Koriand’r,” Komand’r gloated. “He _screamed _for you, for Mother and Father…but in the end, none of you ever came for him, did you? You abandoned him as easily as you abandoned _me.”_

“Mother and Father will _never _forgive you for this,” I snarled up at her. “They will find you and—!”

“Mother and Father are _dead,” _Komand’r spat. “Along with our damned, worthless planet.”

_What?_

“Yes, see, while you were gallivanting around Earth, the Gordanians threatened to destroy our planet unless Father surrendered to them. He refused—and so they did.”

My heart froze. _No—_

“We are the last of our race, _Koriand’r,” _Komand’r cackled. “But do not worry—you will not be around long enough to enjoy it.”

Hands grabbed me and hauled me up to my feet. _Citadel soldiers. _I did not have to look to know that they were grinning lewdly at me.

“You are _mine _now, sister,” Komand’r purred as the soldiers stripped me of my clothes. “And _no one _is around to hear you scream!”

My deranged sister howled with laughter.

_No._

The soldier’s hands moved to caress my breasts.

_Please._

One’s hand traveled lower.

_Someone help me—_

A squeak rang through the air.

The hands paused.

Looking up, I caught sight of a small black form flying around our heads, squeaking with distress.

Was that…a bat?

Why was there a bat in Central Park?

“Get lost, you damn rodent!” Komand’r bellowed. She aimed a starbolt at the creature, who simply dodged and kept flying around.

“Filthy beast!” Komand’r shrieked.

“You know, it’s really rude to talk about someone like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger, but my update days are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so suffer.


	16. Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harper, Jason, and Luke run into some not-so-friendly aliens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Help has arrived!

**Harper Row**

“So I’m the only one seeing the glowing yellow eyes in the trees, right?” I asked.

“Yep,” Red Hood told me, and good grief, he sounded _weird _without his normal Venezuelan accent. We all suppressed them during missions so we wouldn’t be recognized. “And I’m the only one seeing the claw marks in the ground?”

I glanced at the ground. No claw marks. “Yeah.”

“You know,” Batwing said over the communicator, “it’s really depressing to hear you two discussing your hallucinations. It just makes me feel really sad.”

“Hey, you have your problems and we have ours,” Red Hood retorted.

“I’m not judging!” If he wasn’t flying the Batwing—the plane, not him, although he could fly too—I guessed he would have been holding up his hands. “God knows you’ve listened to enough of my rants about my problems!”

“Speaking of which, how’s that going?” I reached up to scratch my face. “Can you look any of the boys in the face?”

“Ugh, no!” Batwing groaned. “I almost had a heart attack when Damian had that panic attack yesterday. God, I wanted to _kill myself.”_

“Whoa there.” Red Hood sounded alarmed. “Is it safe for us to leave you alone right now?”

“Yeah, I’m good. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I’m better now, I promise.”

“You’d better be, or we’ll come up there and kick your ass,” I threatened.

Batwing snorted. “Good luck with that—”

_“RYAND’R!”_

A feminine wail split the air.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I laid a hand on my utility belt, my fingers tightening over one of my custom-made tasers. “Did you hear that?”

“Yes.” Red Hood had his hand on the hilt of his odachi, slung over his shoulder. “Batwing, can we get an ID on the voice?”

“Already on it.” Batwing heaved a shuddering breath. “It’s Koriand’r—Starfire.”

“Huh?” My skin prickled. “Hang on—doesn’t Starfire have an evil sister that works with the Citadel?”

Silence.

“Oh _mierda.” _Red Hood took off running. I was a second behind him as we made straight for the voice. _“Mierda, mierda, mierda.”_

“Batwing, send Harriet—” I started.

“She’s already there.” Batwing let out a bark of fury. “Two Citadel soldiers have Starfire by the arms. Her sister—think her name’s Blackfire—is watching. There’s a body on the ground—looks like a boy Starfire. I’m going to take a guess and say that that’s her brother Darkfire.” He roared suddenly, making me jump. _“They’re taking off her clothes!”_

My vision turned red.

_No._

_ No._

_ No._

_ Absolutely not._

“Have Harriet cause a distraction,” Red Hood snarled.

“Yep. To your right—they’re in that copse of trees.”

We darted to the right, in between some trees, in time to see an orange-skinned woman with black, fiery hair and a _significant _lack of clothing blast a starbolt at Harriet. The clever bat dodged and kept circling.

Without even discussing it, Red Hood went for Blackfire while I snuck to the side, heading toward the two Citadel soldiers.

“Filthy beast!” Blackfire shrieked.

“You know,” Jason said pleasantly, but with a hint of iron to his voice, “it’s really rude to talk about someone like that.”

I heard Blackfire howl in pain. The Citadel soldiers dropped a wholly naked Starfire on the ground, where she curled over the body, sobbing, and charged—

“Oh no you don’t!” I ran in front of them, pulling out my sword hilt and activating the blade—it was pure electricity—and slashing it in front of their faces.

They screeched to a halt, glaring and growling at me. They resembled giant naked blue gorillas. Weird, but not the weirdest thing I’d ever seen.

I was half-convinced I was hallucinating, except that Batwing had said he’d seen the rapists himself.

They were _rapists._

_ Malditos estupradores. Filthy fucking rapists._

My vision was still red.

Time to die.

“Listen, boyos,” I said, then frowned. “Wait. Are you boys? Girls? Or do you have a non-binary—?”

Wait a minute.

I snorted. “Why the Hell am I trying to respect you? You’re _rapists. _You don’t even deserve that!”

One of them grunted.

Could they even understand me?

“Oh, whatever. Anyway, fellas, listen here.” I struck an offensive position. “Just want to let you know: this is going to hurt you _way _more than it hurts me.”

They bellowed, probably at my actions since I doubted they understood human speech, and charged.

I moved.

One threw a punch. I dodged and slammed my sword into its side. Electricity crackled over its body and I watched with satisfaction as its fur caught on fire as the electricity stopped its heart—or whatever powered its body.

The second one drew back, growling menacingly. Slobber dripped from its fangs.

“Nice,” I told it. “You’d make one Hell of a zoo attraction.”

It pounded its chest.

_“Macaco do caralho,” _I muttered. _Fucking monkey._

The Citadel soldier snarled but made no attempt to move closer.

“Smart move,” I praised. “Nice. Staying away from the electric sword. Good strategy. But—”

I deactivated my sword and clipped it back to my belt. It made a confused sound.

Reaching behind me, I grabbed my electric AK-47—my second favorite electric gun, which fired electricity instead of bullets—and aimed it right at the Citadel soldier.

“—you couldn’t escape me anyway,” I informed it.

It huffed.

I pulled the trigger.

An electric bullet, with enough volts to cause a blackout in the whole of NYC, pierced right through the thing’s forehead.

It shrieked wildly as electricity crackled through its body, slowly frying it to a crisp. I couldn’t stop my smirk as I watched its body crumble to ashes.

“You see that, Princess?”

Turning around, I saw that Red Hood had Blackfire by the hair. His odachi was drawn. Her arms were cut off at the elbow.

“Nice,” I told Red Hood.

“Thanks,” he replied.

“You fool!” Blackfire hissed. “You _dare _harm the queen of Tamaran—!”

“Yep.” Red Hood sounded bored. “I dare. Any last words?”

“You will pay for this!” she screeched.

I rolled my eyes. “Oh come on, try for something more original.”

Blackfire turned and spat at my feet.

Red Hood glanced at me. I shrugged.

“Good enough for me.” Red Hood angled his sword. “Listen, Your Majesty—Blackfire, is it—do me a favor, would you? When you see the big bad devil on the highway to Hell, tell him I said, “Like a bitch.””

“I will have your head—!” Blackfire howled.

Red Hood swung the sword.

Blackfire’s body hit the ground.

Her head was in Red Hood’s hand.

I chuckled.

That was an old joke of ours.

Apparently when Jason was being resurrected via the Lazarus Pit, he’d mistaken Ra’s al Ghul for Lucifer Morningstar himself. Honestly, that wasn’t too far off the mark. Anyway, he supposedly swore to Ra’s al Ghul that he’d make him cry like a bitch when he got out of Hell—or, rather, the Lazarus Pit.

I’d originally doubted this story, but Damian had confirmed it, and Damian didn’t lie about the Lazarus Pit. So Jason Peter Todd, my badass zombie cousin, had literally told the Head of the Demon that he’d make him cry like a bitch.

Now, whenever Jason made a quick kill, he’d tell whomever to tell Satan “like a bitch.” It never failed to get giggles out of me.

“Great.” Red Hood set Blackfire’s head down beside her body. “Are the two gorillas dead?”

I looked back at the pile of ash and at the burning body that was slowly becoming a pile of ash. “Deader than doorknobs.”

“Excellent.”

Sobs caught my attention and I looked down at Starfire, who was still very naked and curled up on top of the body.

“Right.” I knelt down beside her. “Batwing, land. Get our Starfire emergency kit.” We had emergency kits for everyone in the Justice League, just in case. We’d brought Starfire’s on the off chance that something like this happened. “We’re going to need it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, Harper also has psychosis. The only difference is that hers is natural.
> 
> For a complete list of all of the BatFam™'s mental illnesses, check out my Tumblr. It should be on there somewhere.


	17. Grieving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kori deals with the aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! A conclusion!

**Koriand’r**

I found that I did not care about the new attackers as I curled over Ryand’r’s body, sobbing and stroking his short, fiery pink hair.

Vaguely, I registered the Citadel soldiers roaring, Komand’r shrieking. Then the smell of burning flesh assaulted my nose. Then two deep, rumbling voices, Komand’r’s furious howling, then silence.

And I still continued to pay them no mind as I clutched my brother’s broken body to my chest.

_Ryand’r._

_ Ryand’r._

_ Ryand’r._

_ Ryand’r._

_ Ryand’r._

_ Ryand’r._

Suddenly someone was kneeling beside me.

“Right,” a raspy voice said. “Batwing, land. Get our Starfire emergency kit.” Their _what? _“We’re going to need it.”

A hand pressed down on my shoulder—

_“No,” _I whimpered, shaking all over. _“Please, no more.”_

“Hey, easy there. It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you,” another voice said, this one deeper. “Breathe, okay?”

Wait.

They were not here…to hurt me?

“Here you go.” There came an unzipping sound and suddenly I was wrapped in a warm leather jacket. I could not feel the cold of the January weather, but it covered my nakedness, and for that I was grateful.

“T-Thank you,” I whispered.

“Don’t mention it,” the raspy voice soothed. “We’re not looking, promise.”

That was not what I was concerned about—plenty of other unsavory characters had seen me in far less, and frankly I was used to it—but the idea that these total strangers were protecting my modesty…

“Who are you?” I asked.

“That’s not important right now,” the deeper voice told me. “All you need to know is that we’re from Gotham City.”

Gotham City…

_Wait—_

“Are you…the Gotham City Knights?” I guessed.

Silence.

“Huh, I see our reputation precedes us,” the raspy voice remarked. “Found out our names, have you? Nice detective work.”

So they _were _the Knights.

But if these really were the serial killers who had butchered the Reach sentinels…

“Why are you being kind to me?” I asked quietly.

“Beg pardon?”

“Why are…I mean, you kill people.” My head was spinning. “Why treat me any differently?”

“We do not slaughter allies unless we have a good reason,” the deeper voice explained. “You are an ally, and we have no reason to kill you. Besides, you are a survivor of a heinous crime and we will _never _kill you for that.”

“Oh.” I pressed a hand to my head. “You have my sincere gratitude.”

“We don’t deserve it,” the raspy voice said dryly. “If anything, it’s our fault for not getting here sooner.”

The sound of a plane landing nearby had my head jerking up. “Who is that?”

“Our teammate. He’s bringing emergency supplies. Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you either,” the raspy voice assured me.

“Ah.” I gazed at my brother’s face, frozen in a grimace of pain. “This is not your fault. I was expecting no help at all. If you had not been here, I would have been…been…”

Oh _sweet…_

I bit back a sob.

“Shh, shh.” Gentle hands caressed my shoulders. “It’s all right,” the deeper voice murmured. “You are safe now. Your sister can’t hurt you anymore.”

Wait a minute.

“What do you—?” I raised my head—and gasped.

Because sprawled on the ground was my sister’s body. Her arms were missing. And sitting next to her body…was her head, face caught in a snarl, even in death.

“You…you killed her,” I whispered.

“There was no other choice,” the deeper voice said coldly, and I shivered. “If we’d let her live, she would have continued her rampage.”

“And besides,” a new voice chimed in, “anyone who’s willing to watch their sister be raped and laugh about it doesn’t deserve to live.”

Looking up from Ryand’r’s body, I saw a figure doused in black with light blue eyes peering down at me. They held a giant pack in their hands.

“I-I…” I stammered.

“Hey, shh.” They knelt down before me. Their voice sounded male, but higher-pitched than the deeper voice. The raspy voice sounded female. “It’s going to be okay.”

I did not see _how_—my brother was dead, my parents were dead, my sister was dead, and I was the last of my race—but something in his tone had me relaxing instinctively.

Wearily, I wondered if these Knights were magic.

“Here you go.” The blue-eyed male dug through the pack and held out a small bundle. “Fresh clothes. Figured you’d need some. By the way, you weren’t…I mean, they didn’t finish…”

I squinted. What did he—?

Oh.

“No.” I hung my head, cheeks flushed. “I was not dishonored.”

“There’s nothing _dishonoring _about it,” the raspy voice said fiercely. “You haven’t lost your damn honor because you almost got raped—you’re a _survivor, __not _a _disgrace. _Got it?”

“Yes,” I replied meekly. “I am sorry.”

“Don’t be.” The blue-eyed male passed me the clothes and I took them from him. “We’ll leave you alone while you get changed. Yell when you’re finished.”

And true to their word, they vanished.

Taking a deep breath, I glanced at the clothes in my hands.

A strapless lavender bra and matching underwear. A violet long-sleeved crop-top that showed my shoulders with lavender lacing and a diopside stone set in the center of the chest. Lavender-laced violet shorts—longer than my usual attire. Lavender-laced violet knee-high boots with a diopside just underneath the knees.

Goodness, these were nice clothes!

Who had made them, I wondered as I slid them on. They fit perfectly. Who had made them so that they fit my exact measurements?

Swallowing, I examined myself.

I looked…good. Not as revealing as I was comfortable with, but…it was definitely stylish and flexible. Dare I say it? I liked it.

“I have finished,” I called.

The three Knights came back into the copse. Now that I was looking directly at them, I saw that the two males were quite large. The blue-eyed one was built like Connor, the other, who had red eyes, built more like Clark himself. The female, who had violet eyes, was also muscled, but shorter than the two males. I could not see their clothing in the shadows of the trees.

“Feel a little better?” the red-eyed one asked.

“Yes,” I said honestly.

“Good.” The blue-eyed one cleared his throat. “Hate to be the one to bring down the mood, but what do you want to do with the bodies?”

Oh.

_The bodies._

“I do not care what you do with the Citadel soldiers,” I told them. “Take their bodies for whatever use you might have.”

“That won’t be a problem.” The violet-eyed one nodded at something behind me. “I already wasted them.”

Glancing behind me, I saw that there were two large piles of ash where the Citadel soldiers had been standing.

“Good,” I declared and _meant it._

“But what about your brother? Do you have some sort of Tamaranian burial custom?” the blue-eyed one pressed.

“Um, sort of.” I looked at Ryand’r’s corpse. “We usually burn our dead.”

“Got it.” The violet-eyed one jerked a thumb behind her. “Yo, go get the gasoline.”

The blue-eyed one vanished.

“Gasoline?” I inquired.

“Well, we kind of can’t chop down any of these trees,” the violet-eyed one explained. “It’s against the law. So gasoline will have to do.”

I raised an eyebrow. “So you mean to tell me that you regularly torture and butcher people, which as far as I know is against _all _laws, but you refuse to cut down a few branches?”

“Hey, we don’t fuck with the environment. That matters,” the red-eyed one said seriously.

“And human lives do not?” I questioned, a tad worried.

“Humans commit crimes that nature does not,” the red-eyed one retorted.

All right, fair point. I subsided, looking down at my pretty new boots.

Soon enough, the blue-eyed one returned with a can of what I assumed to be gasoline. He opened it and poured a generous amount over Ryand’r’s body.

“Wait a moment.” I strode over to Komand’r’s remains. Gathering up her head, arms, and body, I laid them out beside Ryand’r’s gasoline-soaked corpse. “Douse her too, please.”

“What?” The violet-eyed one stared at me. _“Why?”_

“She may have been evil, but she was my sister.” I gazed down at her. “And it is custom to burn _all _Tamaranians, good or evil.”

“You _sure?” _The blue-eyed one looked shocked. “She _tortured _you, would have watched you get _raped, _and you _still _want to honor her?”

I wanted to ask _how _they knew about my past, but honestly I was too tired to think about it.

It was the red-eyed one who shrugged. “What the Hell, just do it. She’s going to Hell anyway—might as well let her go out in a blaze of glory. It’s the last bit of warmth she’ll ever get.”

“You really think…that my sister will end up in Hell?” I whispered at the red-eyed one.

“Take it from someone who knows.” His voice was hard, cold. “Your sister is _destined _to freeze in Hell.”

“Do you not mean _burn?” _I asked, frowning.

“Nope. It’s freezing cold in Hell.”

_Now _I wanted to ask _how _he knew _this, _but the blue-eyed one was dumping the remaining gasoline over Komand’r’s remains.

The violet-eyed one pulled a pack of matches from her belt. Striking one, she held it out to me. “Would you like to do the honors?”

Grasping it, I nodded in thanks before staring down at my dead brother and sister. I whispered goodbye in Tamaranian and dropped the match.

Their bodies caught fire immediately and soon the air was filled with the smell of burning flesh. Tears came pouring out of my eyes as I watched the last two members of my family slowly turn to ash.

Suddenly there were arms around me, and I was being pulled against a broad chest. Glancing up, I saw the red-eyed one was holding me to him.

“It’s all right,” he told me softly. “Just let it out.”

And before I could question what the _Hell _I was doing, I buried my head in his oddly cool chest and sobbed.

Gloved hands stroked my back, and a gauntleted hand combed through my hair and I realized that these strangers, these Knights, these _murderers _were _comforting _me. They barely knew me and they were _comforting _me.

I stayed with them, let them soothe me until the scent of burned flesh drifted away and there was nothing but the smell of ash. Pulling away, I saw the piles of ash that had once been my siblings drifting away in the cool night wind, the snow beneath them stained black.

“Thank you,” I whispered quietly. “For saving me. And for…for _grieving _with me.”

“Our pleasure,” the violet-eyed one said. “We all know what it’s like to lose a loved one. It helps to not be alone.”

We separated and I faced them.

“You should go home,” the blue-eyed one suggested. “You’re probably tired…and scared…and confused. Go find your friends. They can comfort you better than we can.”

He had a valid point. I rubbed my eyes. “All right. I will go. But I will not forget the kindness you showed me here tonight.”

“Wait.” The violet-eyed one held out a hand. There was a small communicator there. “Take this. Use it if you ever need us again.”

“I will.” I took it from them, held it tightly in my hand. “Thank you. May X’Hal bless you.”

The red-eyed one snorted. “I doubt any god or goddess outside of Death itself would ever bless us. But the sentiment is appreciated. Now go. Rest. Recover. Maybe we’ll meet again, though you’ll excuse me if I say I hope not.”

“I understand,” I admitted. “I wish for the same thing.”

And with that, I took off, flying through the air toward the only place I felt like going right now.

Really, I could have gone anywhere. Any member of the Justice League would have been happy to have me. For a moment I considered going to Rose and Essence. They were always happy to have “another fucked-up female fury” as Rose put it. But I did not want to interrupt their time together.

But there was one place I knew I would always be welcome. One who I knew I could trust, who had helped me heal my soul, who had welcomed me into his bed until I discovered that I preferred the female touch and stayed by my side even after.

It took me an hour to fly there, but it was worth it as I knocked on his window, waiting for him to answer.

Roy pulled his window open, blinking. He looked half-asleep and his arm was missing. “Kori? What’s up? Why are you up so late—are you _crying? _What happened?” he demanded.

I launched myself forward into his arms and began to sob wildly.

“Kori! Kori? _Kori. _What happened? _Talk _to me, damn it!” Roy stroked my hair. “Tell me what happened. I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong. _Tell me.”_

So I did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That is my personal take on Kori's outfit. I have takes on all of the others' outfits too. You'll be seeing them very soon!


	18. Yay, We Saved A Superhero! Now What?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke goes home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, the BatFam™'s aftermath!

**Luke Fox**

Do not look at Jason do not look at Jason do _not_look at Jason.

“Damn,” Harper cursed next to me. “Damn, damn, _damn.”_

Oh, and also do not look at Harper. That was also a bad thing to do.

“I shouldn’t have killed them,” Harper growled, slamming her hands against the control panel of the Batwing. “I should have kept them alive and ripped their fur off _inch by inch, _skinned them _alive, _poured _acid _over them and watched them fucking _burn…”_

Harper let out a frustrated scream and hit the control panel again. _“Damn it!”_

“Look, Harps, I get that you’re pissed and all, but could you maybe _not _hit the controls?” I asked, carefully avoiding looking in her direction. “I don’t want to crash and burn.”

“Oh please,” Jason grumbled from behind us. “This thing’s been through much worse than a few hits to the controls. Remember when we rammed into that helicopter the Penguin took over and that guy crashed through the windshield and into the controls? Nothing happened.”

“Yeah, because I rewired these things to only respond to _our _fingerprints,” I tossed back. “Therefore, Harper keyboard-smashing is _way _worse than some random goon that hit the controls.”

“You and your technology,” Jason said tiredly.

“Hey, I don’t hear you complaining whenever you get a new phone out of it,” I retorted.

“Uh, Jason only ever uses his phone for emergency communication or to listen to music,” Harper pointed out. “Not much to complain about.”

“Fair.” I sighed. “Jesus, Jay, why are you so _boring?”_

“Oh _really? _Because _I _don’t hear _you _complaining whenever I read you Harry Potter in Afrikaans until you fall asleep,” Jason shot at me.

_“Mamãe? Papai? _Please stop fighting,” Harper snapped irritably. _Mom. Dad._

“Sorry, Harper,” we both said at the same time.

“Much better,” she said, sounding satisfied.

We’re at the docking point now—a small hill behind the manor. Pressing a button, I watched as the hill opened, revealing a landing pad far below, one of the many entrances to the Batcave.

We hadn’t even touched down properly when someone was banging on the side of the Batwing. I thought it was Tim but when we finally landed and opened the hatch it turned out to be Kate.

_“Mamãe, _what’s wrong?” Harper asked, frowning. “You look—”

“It’s Cass,” Kate panted. “She had an attack. Thought it might help if—”

She didn’t have to say anything else before Jason, Harper, and I tore out of the Batwing. Kate bolted ahead, leading us to the training ring, where Damian was on his knees next to a sprawled out Cass.

Cass was taking deep breaths, her eyes flicking around rapidly, trying to take in the scenery around her. In a second, Jason was by her side, easing her into a sitting position.

“She seized this time,” Kate whispered to Harper and I. “It got bad. I thought Dami was going to have a panic attack.”

_Mãe de Deus. _Poor Cass. _Mother of God._

Jason was speaking softly to Cass in English. “You doing okay? Do you want some water?”

“Yes. Water.” Cass flexed her hands. “Tired. I…” She glanced up at Jason. “Shakespeare? Cassandra sandwich?”

“You got it.” Jason eyed Damian. “I’m sure Dams can endure a bit of Shakespeare for a Cass sandwich. Dami?”

To his credit, Damian shrugged. “Whatever. You are lucky I love you, Cain.”

Cass giggled.

“All right, you two go ahead and get ready for me. I’m going to change out of these clothes and we’ll read for a while until it’s time to go out on patrol, okay?”

Damian and Cass nodded, and Damian helped Cassandra to her feet, letting her brace herself against him while they made their way to the stairs up to the house proper. Jason quickly disappeared to his changing room.

Everyone here had their own coping mechanisms, but in our own little cliques, or squads as most everyone called us, we had some joint coping skills that we used to their fullest.

Alpha Squad—Alfred, Bruce, and Kate—usually cuddled in bed, talking amongst themselves until they fell asleep.

Beta Squad—Barbara, Dick, and I—actually did karaoke. We holed ourselves up in the game room on the third floor and sang whatever the Hell we wanted, usually musicals or the theme songs for TV shows we liked.

Delta Squad—Helena, Tim, and Stephanie—went down to the creative station in one corner of the basement and did arts and crafts until they were laughing so hard at each other’s crazy creations that they forgot what they were so worried about.

Theta Squad—Harper, Duke, and Claire—watched children’s shows, like My Little Pony (all generations), Lazy Town, Land Before Time, and so on. It made them feel young and innocent again, and it even distracted Harper and Claire from their hallucinations.

Omega Squad—Jason, Cassandra, and Damian—curled up together and listened to Jason read some old story, usually Shakespeare (Cass’ favorite) or Lord of the Rings (Dami’s favorite).

So now those three were going off to cope, leaving Kate, Harper, and I alone in the training ring.

“All right,” Harper yawned. “I’m going to go shower then get some sleep. See you in the morning. Night _Mamãe. _Luke.”

And with that, she strode off to her own changing room.

“Well, that was exciting.” Kate ran a hand through her hair. “Good grief, I’m going to have a heart attack one of these—Luke, why are you staring at me like that?”

Blinking, I averted my eyes. “Sorry—I just, um…”

“Let me guess, your OCD acting up again?” Kate guessed.

“Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner.” I groaned, rubbing my face with one gauntleted hand. “God, this is a _fucking nightmare. _Why can’t I just be attracted to girls?”

“You _are _attracted to girls.” Kate reached over and gripped my shoulders. “Luke, take it from someone who knows _firsthand _what loving a woman feels like, you are totally one hundred percent heterosexual.”

_“Aporio-_heterosexual,” I corrected.

“What-fucking-_ever. _My _point _is, you are not gay. Just keep telling yourself that and everything will be a-okay. You feel me?”

“I feel you.” I tugged my aunt into a hug. “Thanks, Kate. I owe you one.”

_“Please.” _Kate swatted my shoulder. “What’s family for?”

“This, I guess,” I admitted.

We pulled apart.

“So, will you tell me about what happened during your mission?” she asked. “We have to put it in our records, and besides, you know Bruce is going to interrogate you first thing in the morning. And anyway, you’ve missed your patrol time.”

I winced. “Shit. Babs and Dick are going to be pissed.”

“Nah.” Kate waved a hand. “They understand. Besides, you were on a _mission. _That’s _just _as important as patrol. Now, spill the tea. What happened?”

“Here, how about we talk about it here?” I sat myself down on the training ring. “I have the feeling you’re going to wind up punching something.”

Kate sat too. “If you say so.”

I told her what happened.

She punched something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Luke has OCD too. For the full list of the BatFam™'s mental illnesses, hit up my Tumblr @delusionallunatic3791.


	19. Oh No, More Aliens!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary deals with some interesting truths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mary Bromfield is amazing. That is my excuse.

**Mary Bromfield**

My hands flew to my mouth. “Oh, _Kori! _I’m so _sorry!”_

Kori, who was tucked against Roy’s side, shrugged. “It is all right. I am fine now.”

“True, but this is absolutely unacceptable,” Victor declared. “Citadel soldiers, Reach sentinels—Earth has been invaded _twice _and we’ve been the north side of useless each time. If it weren’t for those Knights—”

“We would all be dead,” Diana finished.

“Kori, did you get _anything _out of them besides that communicator?” Clark pressed.

The princess shook her head. “No. I am sorry. I did not have the presence of mind to ask them their names. And if I did, I doubt they would have told me. The only thing they let slip was that they were from Gotham City.”

“Jesus Christ.” Next to me, Freddy was shaking his head. “Now what?”

“Well we obviously owe them a debt,” Carter remarked.

Oliver cut him a strange look. “For slaughtering people?”

“For avenging our dead and saving Koriand’r,” Shiera corrected. “Goodness knows they put their necks on the line for us.”

“Hardly,” Kori remarked. “They butchered the Citadel soldiers and my sister with little effort. Whoever they are, they are undoubtedly skilled.”

“Not to mention the Reach sentinels.” Roy bit his lip. “We definitely had trouble with them, but if these people were able to incapacitate them long enough to torture them, then they’ve got some good moves.”

“Oh, and don’t forget their kill streak back in Gotham,” Billy said dryly. “I mean, come on, they’re basically walking, talking antiheroes.”

“So what are we going to do about it?” Augustus pressed. “We have to make _some _kind of contact with them.”

“We already did. They killed some aliens, they saved Kori, and they gave us that communicator in case we needed them.” Hal shrugged. “Problem solved.”

_“No, _problem _not _solved,” John Stewart growled. “They _kill _people.”

“And what, do you think a nice, friendly chat is going to be the way to get them to stop?” Kyle asked sarcastically.

“Hey man, don’t knock it.” Barry nodded at Dinah. “A couple sessions with Dinah might convince _them _to knock it.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Dinah murmured. “Sometimes people are too broken to be fixed.”

Victor raised an eyebrow at her. “You think that these Knights might be crazy enough that they can’t be redeemed?”

“You saw what they did to the aliens,” Nathaniel retorted. “They clearly don’t have any souls.”

“You’re wrong,” I spoke up.

Nathaniel glanced at me. “Pardon?”

I swallowed, but pressed on. “They _do _have souls. You’re looking at _what _they’ve done but not _why _they’re doing it. They kill rapists and pimps and robbers. They avenged our dead and destroyed Kori’s attackers. They _clearly _have _some _sense of right and wrong. And what about how they comforted Kori? Did you forget that? These people may be cruel but I think their hearts _may _be in the right place.”

Nathaniel stared coolly at me. “I thank you for your opinion, but you’ll forgive me if I don’t take the words of a seventeen-year-old girl too seriously.”

On the outside I didn’t even blink. But on the inside I was _seething._

Freddy bristled. On my other side, Darla bit her lip. Billy wasn’t in my line of sight, but I knew he was clenching his fists.

Our age was a sore subject. Ever since the Justice League had found out my family’s true ages, we had lost a great deal of respect. There had even been talk amongst some of the older members about removing Billy from the League ranks and a demotion to the Titans, perhaps, or let him off to be a freelancer like Kori or Bizarro. It had taken an intervention from the women of the League and a brawl between Tatsu and John Stewart—she’d won, obviously—to put the idea to rest. But we still remembered.

And I doubted we would forget any time soon.

_“Watch it, _Nate.” Kara pointed a finger at him. “You’ll do well to remember that _I’m _seventeen too.”

“You hardly count,” Giovanni told her sternly. “You’re technically forty-eight.”

“And _you _would do well to remember that Mary has the Wisdom of Solomon on her side,” Shiera spat at the old men. “Therefore, she has more wisdom than the both of you combined.”

Giovanni and Nathaniel looked taken aback.

“I will not hear you disrespect these children so,” Carter snapped, his wings flaring. “They have proven themselves _ten times over, _and you _dare _brush aside their accomplishments! I am disgusted at _both _of you!”

I gave Carter a tiny smile, which he returned.

Carter and Shiera weren’t Victor and Rosa—_no one _could be Victor and Rosa except the two themselves—but they had been good to my family. They had moved us into their large, spacious house—Egyptology apparently paid a _lot_— and made sure we were comfortable. And they had spent the last three weeks taking care of us, trying to provide us with the comfort and support we needed. I was very grateful to them for that.

They were even officially adopting us all so that we could stay together as a family. The paperwork was still in the process—of course it was, nothing could _ever _be simple with our legal system—but they were _keeping us together, _and I would _never _be able to express my gratitude for that.

Darla had taken to them immediately, admittedly a tad more subdued than usual, but then, considering the circumstances, that was probably reasonable.

Freddy was a tad more twitchy, but whenever we hadn’t been on guard duty above the house, usually when we passed out or the couple tempted us down for meals, he and Carter had gotten into huge mythological debates.

Billy was surprisingly amiable, despite his past and general personality. But then, maybe his time with us had softened him up a bit, and I knew he’d admired Carter and Shiera as heroes. He was still sharp at times, but given his past and what had just happened, that was completely acceptable.

As for me, I tried to make nice. Both had calmed me whenever I had nightmares and Shiera was more than happy to discuss Pythagoras’ Theorem with me. I liked them both very much.

But nothing would be able to repair the hole in my heart where Victor and Rosa and Eugene and Pedro had been.

Before either of the older men could say anything—hopefully an apology, most likely a rebuttal—the sensors rang out from the computer.

Darla’s head jerked up. “What’s going on?”

“J’onn, Victor, what’s happening?” Diana demanded, slipping into warrior mode.

Victor, who was tapping away at the screen, turned to face us. His mouth was set in a grim line. “An alien force is heading straight for Earth.”

“The Reach?” Will asked, tensing.

_“And _the Citadel.” J’onn’s face was twisted in a grimace. “It seems they’ve joined forces.”

“But why?” Natasha asked. “Why now?”

“Why do you _think?” _I shook my head. “Their people were slaughtered on Earth soil. They’re _bound _to be upset.”

“Well that’s just _perfect,” _Roy muttered. _“Now _what do we do?”

Clark held out his hand. “Kori, can I see that communicator? Victor, how long do we have?”

“One hour,” Victor reported as Kori dutifully handed the communicator over.

“That’s all we need.” Clark opened the communicator.

“Uh, Clark? What are you doing?” Oliver asked nervously.

“It’s time we called in some help from our new friends,” the Kryptonian said.

We all stayed silent as the communicator trilled. I myself was tense with anticipation, wondering what would happen when we got one of them on the phone.

The communicator rang twice before a deep, gravelly voice rang out. “Speak.”

I shivered. Goodness, that voice was _terrifying._

“This is the Justice League,” Clark said in his best Superman voice. “Whom am I speaking to?”

“You’re speaking to a Gotham City Knight,” was the response. “What do you need?”

That was it. No “how are you” or “good morning” or even a “who am I speaking to.” Just “what do you need.” Harsh, but to the point.

“There isn’t much time. There’s an alien force of both the Reach and the Citadel coming for Earth, and we _need _your help.”

A pause. “It’s not that we’re _against _helping you, as this is partially our fault to begin with, but may I inquire why you _need _our help? I imagine the Justice League is _more _than capable of handling an alien invasion on their own, so why call us in at all?”

Whoever it was made a fair point. We had successfully handled many an alien invasion before. Aside from collecting a debt, why _would _we need the Knights’ help?

“Because.” Clark’s voice was dark. “We need to wipe them out. _Permanently. _And you are more practiced in the art of killing than any of us ever will be. We need you to kill them for us.”

My heart jumped into my throat.

_Kill?_

We were going to _kill _these creatures?

Darla gasped and I grabbed her hand in mine, squeezing it tightly. Freddy seemed to be having trouble breathing beside me. Billy seemed like Billy, but I knew he was as shocked as the rest of us.

“Is that so.” The deep, gravelly voice revealed nothing, not even the slightest hint of surprise. “You have my attention. What do you need?”

“Can you meet us in the Watchtower in fifteen minutes? There’s a Zeta Tube hidden in the—”

“We are aware of the location of the Gotham City Zeta Tube,” the dark, gravelly voice said dryly.

“Uh.” Clark seemed momentarily at a loss for words. “Right. We’ll give you a free pass up here. Then we’ll go over the plan.”

“It’s a date.” The dark, gravelly voice seemed amused. “We’ll be there.”

The line went dead.

“Clark, are you _sure _about this?” Dinah asked, looking a little alarmed.

“Positive.” Clark looked grim. “We need them.”

“But Clark…” I swallowed. “We aren’t _killers, _Clark.” I paused, thinking of Rose and Essence and Roy and Kori and Artemis and Bizarro. “Not all of us are, anyway.”

“I have long feared the day I would have to kill again.” Diana pressed a hand to her face. “It seems I will have to do so again.”

“This is why I called them in.” Clark turned away to stare out of the Watchtower’s windows, watching the stars. “That way we won’t have to kill. They can do it for us.”

“Um…” Barry shifted his feet. “That’s a little unethical, man.”

“I would rather use them to kill our enemies than watch our young ones become killers,” Clark growled.

He had a point there. Freddy grabbed my other hand and Billy rested his hands on my shoulders. My family clung to each other in a silent show of support.

“This does not feel right,” Wally remarked. “We’re using them. They’ve saved us twice, we owe them a debt, and we are _using _them. And to _kill _people, no less! Clark, we’re inadvertently forcing them to dirty their own hands. Why can’t we just banish them like we did the last time?”

“Wally, believe me, I would love _nothing _more than to just banish them like last time.” Clark’s reflection looked pained. “But the Reach _will not stop _until they’ve conquered our planet—for revenge or pride, I don’t know which. They are _monstrous_—look at what happened to Roy and Connor and Jaime! And the Citadel—well, you _know _what they did to Kori, what they _tried _to do to Kori. I may despise the idea of killing, but I fear what might happen if one of us got captured by _any _of them. We have to get rid of them by any means necessary, and if that means that some of us have to get our hands dirty, literally or metaphorically, then _so fucking be it.”_

I flinched. I had never heard Clark swear like that.

“All right.” Diana placed her hand on Clark’s shoulder. “All right. We see your point. We will simply owe them a deeper debt.”

“Actually, I think _they _owe _us,” _Oliver butted in. _“They’re _the reason these aliens are coming here in the first place.”

“That’s not entirely true,” I told him. “They were already here before the Knights intervened. Even _if _they hadn’t butchered those sentinels and soldiers, I suspect this would have been the outcome if we’d been the ones to dispatch of them.”

Oliver squinted at me. “Why are you so smart, girl?”

“Wisdom of Solomon, right here,” Billy said proudly, squeezing my shoulders. I blushed at the praise.

“Mary’s right,” Dinah agreed. “This was inevitable.”

“Inevitable or not, we can still fight back,” Guy said fiercely, pounding a fist into his palm.

“But we don’t have to kill.” Jaime pointed a finger at Guy. “I _refuse _to kill.”

“Cheers,” Eduardo muttered darkly.

“Right.” Clark shook his head, clearly thinking. “Okay, we’ll state a rule. Anyone under the _biological _age of eighteen isn’t allowed to kill. Eighteen and over is optional.”

I let out an audible sigh of relief, echoed by my brothers and sister and a great many others in the room.

Suddenly Wally started. “What about our families? What if the Reach or the Citadel tries to hurt them again?”

“Shit,” Hal gasped. “Shit, shit, _shit.”_

“Bring them up here,” John Stewart said firmly. _“All _of them. We will not let the aliens take any more people from us ever again.”

“What about those of us who live in Atlantis?” Kaldur asked.

“Them too,” Clark said. _“No one _gets left behind.”

“The Knights are going to be here in ten minutes,” Victor reported. “We have ten minutes to prepare.”

Zatanna, who had been mostly silent, nodded. “Then we’ve got to move fast. Go, quick, everyone!”

The Justice League scattered in every direction.

I turned to face my family. Darla was shaking. Freddy’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. Billy was wearing the face that I hated, the bitter, defeated one he had met us with.

“Mary, I’m scared,” Darla piped up.

“Do not worry.” A firm hand landed on my shoulder and I looked up to see Carter and Shiera smiling at us.

“We will help you,” Shiera continued. “You will all be fine. I promise.”

I smiled weakly at them, if only for trying to put my family at ease.

Now if only I would believe them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, the BatFam™ and the Justice League get to interact! How will this go? Let's find out!


	20. Yay, We Get To Kill More Aliens!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie gets some good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop whoop! The BatFam™ gets some interesting news!

**Stephanie Brown**

“And so Christopher Columbus discovered America…”

Yeah yeah, yadda yadda, _bullshit. _I fought the urge to yawn.

The _Native Americans _were the first ones to discover America. Then the Norse. _Then _Christopher “Catalyst” Columbus. I wasn’t even a genius, unlike many members of my family, and even _I _knew that.

I was just about to raise my hand to inform my moronic teacher of this when the intercom crackled.

“Ms. Thorn, can you send Stephanie Brown up to the front office for checkout please?”

“Yes,” Ms. Thorn said dully.

“Thank you.” The line went dead.

“You heard her, Stephanie.” Ms. Thorn gestured to the door. “You’d best be off.”

I had to fight the urge to punch the air.

_Thank fucking God._

Now the only question was _why _I was getting called out early.

Oh God damn it, had someone gotten kidnapped again?

Shoving my textbook and notebook into my purple backpack, I stood up and strode confidently for the door, pointedly ignoring the whispers that followed in my wake.

_“Spoiled brat.”_

_ “Wonder what she’s getting out for THIS time.”_

_ “Lucky her.”_

_ “I wish MY dad dragged me out of school as often as her.”_

_ “Spoiled Stephanie, getting out scot-free because her daddy built the school.”_

Fucking assholes. It was a daily battle to remind them that I had _not _come from wealth, that if it hadn’t been for my vigilante status, I would have been as ordinary as the rest of them.

“There’ll be an online assignment for you to complete later,” Ms. Thorn called after me as I pushed through the door.

“You got it, Ms. T.” I waved behind me as the door clicked shut.

My classroom wasn’t that far from the attendance office, and soon enough I joined Duke standing beside Cass while the attendance lady peppered her with questions about college.

_“I korero a Cass i nga mea i tupu?” _I asked Duke. _Did Cass say what happened?_

_“Non, mas elle avait l’air inquiète,” _Duke responded. _“Ce doit être quelque chose de grand.” No, but she looked worried. It must be something big._

“I’m here!” Claire made her way through the door with a cheerful smile, the one she always had for when she was out in public. No one outside of us ever saw how broken she really was. “Sorry I’m so late!”

“Well I guess I’ll see you later, then!” The attendance lady waved. “Have a nice day, kiddos!”

“Bye,” Cass said quickly before rushing out the door, beckoning for us to follow.

Parked outside of Gotham Academy was the pitch black Hummer Cass shared with Jason. We’d barely gotten buckled in before Cass took off, weaving her way through Gotham City’s typical traffic as quickly as the speed limit allowed.

“Jesus, Cass, what’s the rush?” Claire asked, wincing as Cass quickly shifted lanes and screeched around a corner.

“Emergency.”

“No kidding,” Duke deadpanned. “What happened? Did Harley or Ivy escape from Arkham or something?”

“Justice League.”

My heart jumped into my throat.

_“The Justice League?” _Claire sounded alarmed. “What’s wrong? Have they started hunting us down? What’s going on? Do they want us to stop?”

Cass’ mouth opened, but no sound came out. Frustrated, she tried again, her mouth twisting in a variety of shapes. Then she gave up and hit the steering wheel with force.

“Easy Cass.” I pressed the autopilot button we’d installed in every vehicle we owned. “Sign it out, okay?”

Quickly, Cass signed _Need us._

“The Hell?” Duke blinked. “What in God’s green Earth do they need _us _for?”

We’d turned on the road to the manor now. I hit the button that would open the gate for us, listening to its creak while watching Cass’ flying hands.

_Justice League. Alien invasion. Citadel. Reach. Need us. Kill._

My jaw dropped open. “Could you…repeat that, please?”

As we pulled into the manor’s driveway, Cass obligingly resigned her sentences.

“The Justice League wants us to kill aliens for them.” Duke shook his head. “Either I’m losing my mind or the world is ending.”

“Both,” Claire said.

“Definitely both,” I agreed. “What’s the plan?”

Cass shrugged.

The car parked and turned itself off as we all leaped out of it, racing for the doors—which were flung open, revealing a very startled Dick.

“They want us there in seven minutes,” he panted. His leg was jiggling nonstop. “Hurry. Bruce wants us dressed in two minutes before we go to the Zeta Tube.”

“But how—?” I started.

“Special access. Now _come on!”_

I ran out of my changing room and almost crashed into Huntress, who was adjusting her mask.

“How many minutes has it been?” she asked hurriedly.

“One minute and forty-seven seconds,” I told her. “Now _hurry!”_

We both bolted for the Batcave’s Batgarage, where we kept all of our vehicles. The long-abandoned train system was already running, with all of our squads sitting in their own respective cars.

Huntress and I joined Red Robin in our car, sitting opposite him facing backward, closing the door behind us. He was messing with his hair, fiddling with the orange streaks.

“Is everyone here?” Batman called through the intercom system.

Everyone made noises of assent.

“Good,” Batwoman said brusquely. “Hold on tight. We’ll be at the Zeta Tube in three minutes.”

The train started up and we shot forward faster than a bullet.

Gotham City wasn’t a mining city, nor were we known for our natural resources outside of maybe fishing. But the city held an ancient secret that not even the elitist of the elite knew.

There was a natural cave system miles below Gotham City. The Native Americans who had lived here before the English had come to conquer them used them as an escape hatch and lived down here. They were wiped out somehow—Red Robin’s best hunch was a plague—and we still sometimes found their bodies when we were exploring some of the lower tunnels.

One of Bruce’s ancestors had discovered this when digging the basement for the manor. Rather than tell everyone, they’d kept it a secret, even installed a private train for evacuation purposes.

When Bruce and Kate and Bette and Alfred were making the Batcave, they repurposed the place. Now we effectively had secret tunnels leading all over the city, even back to the mainland. Very effective when we needed a quick escape.

And there just so happened to be a tunnel that led right up to the Zeta Tube.

“So, we’re killing more aliens,” Red Robin said as we sped along. “That’s neat. I guess we should help clean up our mess.”

“Hey.” Huntress held up a finger. “To be fair, we were only cleaning up _their _mess. The Citadel and the Reach are technically _their _problems. _We’re _only supposed to stay in Gotham City.”

I snorted. “Oh, _please. _Like we ever obeyed _that _rule. Or have you _forgotten _how we found Jean-Paul? Or how _Damian _was _conceived?”_

_“Hush,” _Red Robin hissed. “We don’t need to go dragging up the past. Today is going to be stressful enough.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled.

“But still, this is _huge,” _Huntress said. “Fighting a _real _intergalactic threat? That’s _way _bigger than our usual gigs. Usually we’re just chasing down psychopaths and abusers.”

“Yep. Now we’re chasing down _alien _psychopaths and abusers,” I remarked. “By the way, dibs on any and all of Starfire’s rapists.”

“Cool. Dibs on any and all Reach scientists,” Red Robin replied.

“Fine by me,” Huntress told us. “Dibs on any and all Beetles.”

I frowned. “But _technically _the Beetles didn’t do anything wrong. They were taken over like Blue Beetle.”

“I know.” Huntress grinned cruelly. “I want to rip the Beetles out of their spines and crush them like the Bugs they are.”

I grinned and gave her a fist bump. _“Nice.”_

The train screeched to a halt. We quickly left our car to gather around the ladder that would lead us up to the sewer that would lead us up to the abandoned telephone booth, a.k.a. the Zeta Tube.

“Listen,” Batman growled before any of us could move. “I want each and every one of you to have your mental shields up. There are several telepaths among the League, and we don’t need them reading our minds. Got it?”

We all nodded.

“Good.” With that final inspiring message, Batman began to climb the ladder.

I paused before it was my turn to climb, taking a moment to haul my mental shields in place. We’d all learned how to during our training with Batman and Batwoman, and it had been especially helpful during our battle against Psimon. Dirty fucker. I was especially glad Red Hood, Orphan, and Robin had torn him to shreds.

Literally. They had ripped him to pieces and dumped him in a river. That had been incredibly satisfying to see.

“Spoiler, are you coming?” Red Robin called down.

“Yes.” I began to climb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOPS NOT YET Y'ALL.


	21. When Will We Get To Heaven?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jai and Irey lose their mom—and go to space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A soft moment before the shit starts hitting the fan.

**Jai Parks**

“Irey, give it back!” I whined, reaching for the dump truck.

“No!” Irey held it away. “It’s my turn to play with it!”

“Is not!” I argued.

“Is too!” he said.

“Not!”

“Too!”

“Not!”

“Too!”

“Not!”

“Too!”

“Not not not!”

“Too too too!”

“All right, you two, that’s enough.” Ms. Louisa came over, hands on her hips. “Jai, honey, it’s Irey’s turn to play with the dump truck. Why don’t you play with your pickup truck instead?”

“Fine,” I grumbled, reaching for the pickup truck. “But give it back when you’re done.”

Irey stuck his tongue out at me. “Bossy boots.”

Before I could say anything else, Ms. Maddie came over to us.

“Jai? Irey?” she said sweetly. “Come with me, please. Your Uncle Wally is here to pick you up.”

“Yay, Uncle Wally!” Irey cheered, standing up and dropping the dump truck.

I frowned. “Why is Uncle Wally here?”

“He’s here to take you to see your mom,” Ms. Maddie said. She looked sad. Why was she sad?

“Mommy?” Irey grinned at me. “Did you hear, Jai? We’re going to see Mommy!”

That made me smile. Mommy was at the hospital right now. Uncle Wally said that she was very sick and that she couldn’t play with us right now.

But maybe she was better! Maybe that was why Uncle Wally was coming to get us—so she could play with us again! Maybe Uncle Wally would play with us too—we could play cowboys together! That was Irey and I’s favorite game.

Ms. Maddie got us our backpacks and took us out of the classroom and down the hall, instructing us to march like ducklings. Irey and I giggled as we waddled along—like ducklings, just like Ms. Maddie wanted!

Uncle Wally was waiting for us at the big desk at the front of the school. I looked at his freckles, trying to count them all. I only got up to one hundred before I lost count. He had _so many! _I wondered if one day _I _would have that many freckles. Irey didn’t have any freckles, like Mommy. But _I _had freckles. Like Daddy.

I bit my lip. I wasn’t supposed to think of Daddy. Not when he hurt Mommy. Not when he threw Irey down the stairs. Not when he hit me so hard I saw butterflies.

“Hey, Little J, Little I.” Uncle Wally got on his knees, holding out his arms. “How are you?”

“Uncle Wally!” Irey and I ran up to him and threw our arms around him. He stood up, taking us with him so that I was kicking the air.

“Are we going to see Mommy?” I asked, tugging on his sleeve.

“Yeah. You two and your mommy are going to come with me to my work.”

I blinked. “But Mommy can’t leave the hospital, Uncle Wally. She’s sick.”

“I know, buddy, I know, but it’s an emergency.” Uncle Wally set us down but held our hands. “Come on.”

We walked out of the school and into the parking lot. Then Uncle Wally pulled us behind a big truck.

“What’s going on, Uncle Wally?” Irey asked. “Where’s your car?”

“We’re not taking the car today. We’re going to _run.” _Uncle Wally smiled at us. “Isn’t that fun?”

I grinned, jumping up and down. “Yeah! Let’s run, Uncle Wally!”

“Good. Now hold tight to my hands, okay?”

Nodding, I squeezed Uncle Wally’s hand tightly.

“We’re going to run in three, okay? One, two, three!”

We all ran, blowing through the parking lot and into the street.

Uncle Wally, Irey, and I all shared a big secret. We could go really, _really _fast. Like, faster than a _car. _We could go _so fast _that not even a _racecar _could keep up with us!

Uncle Wally didn’t know how we did it. He got his speed from an accident—he’d told us the story before. Then he became a superhero—he was Flamebird! Irey and I had a superhero uncle! It was awesome!

I wanted to be a superhero when I grew up too. Like Uncle Wally. So did Irey. We would be a team. Like Uncle Wally and Mr. B. We would be Kid Flash (me) and Hermes (Irey)! We would be the greatest superheroes in the whole wide world!

We stopped in an alley right beside the hospital. Then Uncle Wally walked us into the hospital.

Evelyn, the nice front desk lady, looked up when we walked in. For some reason, she looked sad.

“Hey, Evelyn,” Uncle Wally said nicely. “I’m here to check out Linda Parks?”

“That’s…ahem, I’m afraid that’s not possible.” Evelyn bit her lip. “You see, Ms. Parks…she’s passed away.”

Uncle Wally froze up. “What?”

“I’m so sorry, Mr. West.”

Evelyn had never said she was sorry before.

I tugged on Uncle Wally’s sleeve. “Uncle Wally, when are we going to see Mommy?”

“Uh…” Uncle Wally shook his head. “Mommy can’t come with us.”

“What? Why?” Irey stamped his foot. “I want to see Mommy!”

“I…I’m sorry, Little I, but you can’t see Mommy anymore.”

“But _why?” _I was scared. “Uncle Wally, why can’t we see M0mmy?”

“I…Mommy’s dead, buddy. Mommy’s dead.”

“Dead?” Irey cocked his head. “Like Mufasa from the Lion King? Like Littlefoot’s mom in the Land Before Time?”

“Yeah.” Uncle Wally shook his head. “Mommy went to Heaven a little early.”

“Oh.” I nodded. “Okay. So when do we get to see her again?”

“Um…not for a while. Not until you go to Heaven too.” Uncle Wally squeezed our hands. “Listen you guys, we have to go to my work place now.”

“But Uncle Wally, when will we go to Heaven?” Irey asked. “When will we be able to see Mommy again?”

“I’m sorry guys, but it’s going to be a very long time. Now come on, we have to run now. Okay?”

“But _Uncle Wally,” _I whined. “We want to know when we can see Mommy!”

“I don’t know. I’m sorry, but I don’t know.” Uncle Wally led us out of the hospital. “Come with me. We’re going to go to space. Isn’t that exciting?”

“Like astronauts!” Irey gasped, jumping up and down.

“Exactly like astronauts. Now, you ready to run?”

“Yes!”

We went back into the alley. Then we started to run again. Uncle Wally took us through the city until we were in front of an old telephone booth.

“What’s this Uncle Wally?” I asked, frowning. “I thought we were going to space!”

“We are.” Uncle Wally let go of us and pulled the doors open. “Step inside.”

“But why?” Irey asked.

“Because this is a Zeta Tube. It’s going to take us to space.”

Irey and I grinned at each other before running into the booth. Uncle Wally squeezed in too and shut the doors.

I looked around. “Now what?”

“Watch.” Uncle Wally pressed a button.

Suddenly there was a big flash of light. I had to close my eyes because it was so bright. A robot voice echoed in my ears.

“Recognized: Flamebird. A-02. Unnamed meta-human. J-02. Unnamed meta-human. J-03.”

What was a meta-human? And we had names. I was Jai and my brother was Irey.

I was about to ask Uncle Wally about it but then the light disappeared and we were walking into a very crowded room.

Full of _superheroes._

“Oh my gosh!” Irey squealed. “It’s Superman! And Wonder Woman! Ooh, look, Jai, it’s the Flash!” He waved. “Hi, Mr. B!”

Mr. B waved back. “Hey, guys. Walls, the rest of them are in the rec room. Little J and Little I can hang out there.”

“Got it. Come on, munchkins, you can come and make some new friends.” Uncle Wally led us along.

“But Uncle Wally, I want to meet the Justice League!” I whined.

“Sorry, but right now the League has an important job to do.” Uncle Wally took us out of the room and down a hallway. “They’re busy. You can meet them later. In the meantime, Don and Dawn are in the rec room. You like playing with them, don’t you?”

“Yes!” I cheered, jumping. “I love playing with them!”

“Me too!” Irey agreed. “Let’s go!”

We came to a room with a bunch of fancy couches. A bunch of kids were walking around while a few grown-ups sat on the couch and talked—probably about boring stuff like taxes or something.

“Jai! Irey!” Don and Dawn came rushing over. Both were grinning matching grins.

“How are you doing?” Dawn asked. Her eyes were wide. “We’re in space! Isn’t that cool?”

“Yeah!” Irey gave her a high-five. “Can you show me the stars?”

“Sure!”

“Take care of Jai and Irey, would you?” Uncle Wally asked. Don and Dawn nodded. “Thanks. I’ll see you all later, okay?”

I waved. “Bye Uncle Wally!”

Uncle Wally waved back before speeding off.

“Come on!” Don grabbed my hand and pulled me along to the giant glass window that stretched around the entire room. Outside it was pitch black except for a bunch of shining dots—the stars! I was looking at the stars!

“Wow.” Irey pressed his nose up against the glass. “It’s so pretty out there!”

“I know, right?” Dawn grinned. “We’re going to work up here someday.”

“Me too!” I told him. “I’m going to be Kid Flash and Irey is going to be Hermes!”

“Neat!” Don pointed to himself and Dawn. “I’m Speed, and Dawn’s Vel-o-city.” He said the word slowly. “Together, we’re the Tornado Twins!”

“Cool!” Irey gave him the thumbs-up.

“Jai! Irey!”

I turned around to see Ms. I waving at us. “Come here so I can say hello!”

“Okay!” Tugging Irey with me, I ran over to where Ms. I was sitting next to another woman. “Hi!”

“Hello, boys!” Ms. I held out her arms and Irey and I climbed into her lap. She wrapped her arms around us in a warm hug.

“Why did you call them both boys?” the woman beside her asked. “The orange-haired one is a girl.”

“No, Irey is a boy,” I told her.

“No, Irey is a girl,” the woman said.

“Lynn, Irey wants to be a boy,” Ms. I explained. “So we let him be a boy.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Ms. Lynn sniffed. “Irey is a girl and she will be called such.”

“No, I’m a boy!” Irey shouted.

“All right, that’s enough. Let’s not talk about it anymore,” Ms. I said gently. “Say, guys, where’s your mom?”

“Oh. Mommy’s dead.” I told her.

“Oh _no. _I’m so sorry!” Ms. I gasped, squeezing us tighter. “I’m so _sorry, _you two.”

“It’s okay!” Irey shrugged. “We’ll see her again when we go to Heaven!”

“There’s no such thing as Heaven,” Ms. Lynn said. “I’m sorry, but you’ll never see your mother again.”

_“Lynn!” _Ms. I gasped.

“Wait, is that true?” I felt scared. “Ms. I, will we see Mommy again?”

_“Of course _you will.” Ms. I gave Ms. Lynn a mean look.

“Iris, you can’t lie to them.” Ms. Lynn shook her head. “There is no Heaven.”

“Yes there is!” I decided I didn’t like Ms. Lynn very much.

“Lynn, _be quiet _for God’s sake!” Ms. I said angrily. “You’ll scare them.”

_“Iris,” _Ms. Lynn sighed.

“Hey, He—ahem, H-E-L-L exists, so why shouldn’t Heaven?” Ms. I told her.

“Heaven is something made up for people who are scared of death.” Ms. Lynn rubbed her eye. “You’re deluding them if you think they’ll ever see their mother again.”

“No, _you’re _de-lud-ing!” Irey yelled at her.

“Shh, it’s okay.” Ms. I turned away from Ms. Lynn. “She’s just grumpy right now. You’ll see your mom again, okay?”

“Okay.” I mashed my face into Ms. I’s jacket, trying to ignore Ms. Lynn’s mean words.

I would see Mommy again. I _knew _I would. And when I did, she and Irey and Uncle Wally and I would play cowboys again, just like we always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who like Linda Parks, I apologize.
> 
> Also, for those of you who are confused as to why Irey isn't Iris II, it is because Irey is a trans boy. Thank you for your time.


	22. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THEY FINALLY MEET. Stuff happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE LONG-AWAITED MEETING FINALLY HAPPENS. WAHOO!

**Raquel Ervin**

The Gotham City Knights were going to arrive in two minutes.

Zatanna kept pacing around, muttering under her breath. It was quiet, and despite my good hearing, I couldn’t understand her. Or maybe she was just speaking backwards.

Beside me, M’gann seemed to be having a minor freak out. Her hands were scrabbling over her pale white head and I wondered why she didn’t just grow hair so she could pull on it.

“We’re going to be okay,” Artemis Crock said, her voice cracking. “We’re fine! Yep. _Totally _fine.”

M’gann gawked at her. “We are meeting with a murder of serial killers! _How _is that _fine?”_

“They won’t hurt us,” I assured my friends. “Remember what they did with Kori? We’ll be fine.”

“I sure hope so,” Zatanna remarked. “Even so, Dad and Traci and I are all ready to banish them back to Earth—or turn them into animals.”

I couldn’t help but smirk at the idea—a fluffy bunny with a bloody knife. Across the room, Kori snorted. We were all mentally linked so that if need be we could fight—or gossip about—the vigilantes. Which unfortunately meant I could see Clark’s grocery list, Dinah’s plans for a bubble bath, and Rose and Essence’s dirty thoughts about each other.

Speaking of which—

“Will you two please stop thinking?” J’onn asked the two girlfriends. “You are making the rest of us very uncomfortable.”

Rose smirked. “Yeah we are.” But the thoughts subsided.

Thank God. I was about to vomit over the thought of those two tormenting each other with vibrators.

_Ew._

One minute.

“I think we’re going to die,” Kyle piped up.

“Don’t be so sure about that!” Guy patted his boyfriend on the back. “We’re tough! They don’t stand a chance!”

“Need I remind you that they _tortured_several aliens and killed the second-to-last Tamaranian?” Kyle retorted. “This is kind of their fault!”

“Not really,” John Stewart interjected. “This would have happened anyhow. The Reach and the Citadel were after us in the first place. Were it not for those vigilantes, they might have succeeded in killing off more of us—or hurting Koriand’r.”

“I still maintain that they could have handled the situation better,” John Smith muttered.

“Well that’s a given.” Oliver shook his head in disgust. “The Justice League working with serial killers. How disgusting.”

“I will have you remember that some of us have killed before, Oliver,” Diana said coldly.

“Not like this,” Barry pointed out. “We don’t torture.”

_“Most _of us,” Connor Kent muttered, shooting a glare at M’gann, who looked distinctly uncomfortable. He seemed to be doing that a lot. I made a mental note to ask M’gann about it.

“Hey, guys? We’ve got twenty-five seconds before the Zeta Tube activates,” Dinah said. “I suggest we make ourselves presentable.”

“Good call.” I nodded at Dinah before turning to Zatanna. “Is my hair okay?”

My wife beamed at me. “Beautiful. How about mine?”

I brushed a strand of it behind her ear. “Perfect.”

The Zeta Tube started to glow.

“Love you,” I whispered to Zatanna.

“Love you too,” she replied.

“Recognized: Unnamed User. D-01. Unnamed User. D-06. Unnamed User. D-07. Unnamed User. B-04. Unnamed User. A-09. Unnamed User. F-07. Unnamed User. F-08. Unnamed User. B-05. Unnamed User. D-11. Unnamed User. E-12. Unnamed User. H-10. Unnamed User. J-12. Unnamed User. G-12. Unnamed User. G-13. Unnamed User. I-13.”

Good grief, that was a _lot _of numbers.

Fifteen people came marching through the Zeta Tube to stand in a fifteen-point arc in front of us.

And they were downright _terrifying _to look at.

The man—I think it was a man—to the direct left of the center was tall and limber, built like a swimmer, all toned muscles. He (I guess) wore a sleeveless black vest, gloves, and dress shoes with light gray slacks and an undershirt. He also had a light gray mask, polished to pure perfection, with no features, eyeholes, _anything._

The man—definitely a man this time—was the size of _Arthur. Literally. _His shoulders were broad, his body muscular beyond belief. He wore a dark gray suit with black boots, gloves with spikes, and a jagged-ending cape and cowl. At the top of his head were two pointy spikes, like cat ears—or bat ears. His eyeholes were black. A row of black pouches encircled his waist, stopping to leave a space where his bellybutton was. And emblazoned across his chest was a giant black bat, two straps leading up from the ears up to the cape and another strap leading down from the tail and splitting to wrap around his ribcage.

The woman to the right of the center was actually quite muscular, more so than me. Her suit was black, and she had everything the man in the center had, but with several differences. Her cape was a lot shorter, about to her waist but still with jagged edges. She had blood red shoulder-length hair tumbling down from her black mask with the pointy ears. Her straps, bat, spiked gloves, boots, pouches, and eyeholes were red. And strapped to her thighs were—oh, shit, were those _actual guns? _And her lips were a blood red.

The woman to the right of the red haired woman wore a light gray suit that covered her entire body from her head to her boots. Her eyeholes were gray and a gray eye was situated on her forehead. She wore gray gloves and boots, though they were different lengths—the right boot was longer than the left and the left glove was longer than the right. Her pouches were also gray. A gray sash was looped around her torso over the left shoulder, tucked into her pouches, and trailing down on the right side.

The man beside the three-eyed woman wore a mostly black suit. A dark blue V was stretched over his torso and trailed down to his middle and ring fingers. His pouches were blue, along with two stripes just below his knees over black boots. His mask was the same dark blue with light blue eyeholes and his hair was black, dyed the same dark blue at the tips. Two eskrima sticks peeked over his shoulders.

The man down near the end of the right side of the line was _absolutely massive. _Like, bigger than the gray-eyed guy. Like, as big as _Clark. _He wore a red shirt with a black bat on it and a black leather sleeveless vest with black gloves. His pouches and gun holsters—oh goody, _more _guns—were red, and he wore black pants and long red boots. He had a red hood shadowing his face, which was hidden by a black facemask. His eyeholes were red. An odachi was secured behind his back, the hilt peeking over his left shoulder.

Down near the end of the left side of the line was an extremely buff woman. Like, as buff as _Artemis Grace, _if not much shorter. She wore a leather jacket that reached up to her chin, violet at the top and black at the bottom with elbow-length black sleeves and a dark blue V just over her breasts. Under that was a blue shirt with what looked like suspenders. Black pouches and even _more _gun holsters were situated over dark gray pants and pointed, knee-high dark blue boots. She had short blue gloves that revealed her bronze-tanned skin. She sported a dark blue mask with violet eyes secured at her chin with a strap. Her lips were blue. Her hair was violet with a single strand of dark blue hanging over her face.

To the left, directly next to the possible man was a tall, muscled, voluptuous woman. She wore a sleeveless tunic form fitting at the top and flowing at the bottom, dark purple with an indigo top, clasps, and edging. She had black leggings, knee-high dark purple boots, and elbow-high dark purple gloves. Her mask was also purple with dark blue eyeholes. Her bronze skin gleamed in the light Her lips were dark purple. Her hair was long and black, dyed dark purple at the tips. A crossbow and a quiver of arrows were secured at her waist.

Beside the blue-haired man was a man—again, I think—wore black armor with the typical bat ears on top. His armor was threaded through with light blue and he had a light blue bat on his chest and light blue eyeholes.

Right next to him—seriously, what the Hell were these guys’ genders—was a small, muscled woman. She wore a black suit and a black hood and facemask with no discernable features, not even eyeholes. Gold details were all over the suit. A gold circlet with an upside down star crowned her head. A gold clasp encircled her neck. There was a golden stripe over her breasts with a upside down black star in the middle of bat wings. Two ribbons led down from there to wrap around her waist. Three golden wraps encircled each thigh. She had elbow-high golden gloves and knee-high golden boots. A wakizashi sheathed behind her waist, the hilt peering out from her left hip, completed the look.

The man standing in between the black-haired woman and another woman was smaller and slighter than the rest of them, built like a swimmer and maybe a few inches shorter than the blue-haired man. His top was a blood-orange stopping just above his elbows and at a point to his midriff. He wore black leggings and black sleeves. His pouches were black. He wore yellow knee-high boots and short yellow gloves. Black crisscrossing straps held a red emblem in the center of his chest. Inside of it was a strange yellow swirl—maybe some sort of R? He had pale skin and red lips with black hair dyed orange at the tips.

In between the black-haired woman and the faceless person was a muscled woman, taller than the faceless woman. She wore a sleeveless purple suit from her neck to her thighs with black leggings and black sleeves. Around her chest was a slash of black ending at a point toward her bellybutton and her pouches were black. She had a purple cape and hood with a black facemask with purple eyeholes.

The man at the end of the left side of the line was also tall and well muscled. He wore a sleeveless black suit with layered elbow-high platinum gloves and knee-high boots. His arms were exposed, revealing dark umber skin. A platinum bat was splashed across his chest and his pouches were yellow. He wore a yellow helmet with a black visor, revealing his lower face. His lips were a soft pink.

The woman in between the purple-haired woman and the orange-haired man was even buffer than the purple-haired woman and an inch or two taller. She had a light blue shirtless collared top and leggings. Two dark blue G’s were stitched into her chest. She wore a dark blue skirt with yellow pouches and had short yellow gloves and knee-high boots. Her upper arms were revealed, showing pale, almost gray skin. She had light blonde hair in a bob around her face dyed light blue at the tips and a dark blue mask with light blue eyeholes. Her lips were a dark red.

The man at the right end of the line was the shortest and slimmest of them all. He wore a yellow-outlined sleeveless red vest with black pouches around his waist. He had black leggings with yellow stripes around his thighs and black sleeves. A yellow R was stitched over his heart. He wore green gloves with spikes on them and had knee-high green boots. The bottom of his facemask was black and the top was green with white eyeholes. A long katana was sheathed at his side.

Okay. That was all fifteen of them. Good grief, they were all so _detailed._There was so much to look at. And all of them were standing stiff and tall, their faces—the ones I could see, anyway—set in grim lines.

They were _terrifyingly _silent. And still.

Seriously. Not a fidget or anything. Their gazes—I could feel them—were roving over us, assessing us, looking right _through _us.

_Anyone else feel like they’re going to pee their pants? _Hal asked.

_Yes _we all said.

Clark was the first one to speak up. “Welcome, Gotham City Knights. We are glad to see you here.”

The man in the center said in a deep, gravelly voice, “And we are honored to be here.”

So _he _was the one who we’d spoken to earlier. He was even scarier in person.

“Thank you for coming. I’m…ahem, well.” Clark rubbed the back of his neck. “I assume you know who we all are.”

“Indeed.” The man in the middle sounded amused. “We know _all _about you.”

I didn’t like the implications of that.

Diana stepped forward. “But _we _do not know who _you _are. Would you do us the honor of telling us your names?”

“I suppose.” The man in the middle gestured to the person beside him. “This would be our…well, we refer to him as our general.”

The faceless person bowed. “I am Penny-One,” they rasped in a distorted but decidedly male voice. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Diana blinked, surprised, I think, at the politeness. “The pleasure is ours.”

“Hmm. Like I said, he is our general. I am the in-field commander.” The man in the middle gave a sharp nod. “I am Batman.”

Oh. Well, that explained the ears.

The woman beside Batman smirked. “I’m Batwoman. And before you ask no, we’re not married. Blood-related, actually.”

_Glad they cleared that up _Guy remarked. _I was fixing to call them Mr. and Ms. Bat._

_You still could _I suggested.

_True._

The faceless woman with the third eye gave us a wave. “I’m Oracle. Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Dinah nodded. “I like your eye.”

“Thanks. I like your tights,” Oracle returned.

Dinah grinned. “Thanks.”

The blue-haired man smiled a very pretty smile. “I’m Nightwing!”

_“Nightwing?” _Wally gasped. “Hey, I’m _Flamebird!”_

_“No way!” _Nightwing crowed. “That’s so _cool!”_

_Oooh _Bart crooned.

_Nightwing and Flamebird, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G _Kara chanted.

_Shut up! _Wally hissed.

“Nightwing, hmm? Like the Kryptonian legend?” Clark asked.

“Yeah.” Nightwing shrugged. “Sorry, I kind of borrowed the name.”

“No, please, by all means.” Clark nodded. “It suits you well.”

Nightwing beamed. “Thanks!”

“All right, enough about Wing, he’s an attention hoe as it is.” The large man with the red eyes jerked a thumb at his chest. “They call me Red Hood.”

“Why?” Guy asked.

We all stared at him.

_Guy, you dumbass _Kyle sighed.

_What? _Guy demanded.

“Gee, I have no idea,” Red Hood said dryly, fingering his _red hood._“Couldn’t tell you _off the top of my head.”_

I grinned at him. “Nice.”

“Thanks.”

The purple-haired woman bit her lip. “Okay, then. I’m Bluebird. And before you ask, yes, I know my hair is purple, but I have a bluebird emblem on my chest, so therefore I call myself Bluebird. Just to get that out of the way.”

“We weren’t going to—” Billy started.

Bluebird sighed. “Yes, you were.”

The black-haired woman waved a hand. “I’m Huntress.”

Artemis Crock started. “Like the villain?”

Huntress shrugged. “Hey, the name was free. Besides, I have these.” She gestured to her crossbow and quiver.

“Okay, fair,” Artemis Crock relented.

The person in the black armor saluted. “I’m Batwing.” A lighter but still male voice. So this was also a man. “Nice to meet you all.”

“You too.” Donna gave him an approving nod. “Nice armor.”

“Baby you know it,” Batwing returned.

Donna blinked, probably surprised by the flirty tone. People didn’t usually flirt with her.

“And _this _is Orphan.” Red Hood gestured to the faceless woman to his left. Orphan gave a graceful bow, her movements swift and sure in a way that made me jealous. I wasn’t _big, _but I could be pretty awkward and clumsy at times. Orphan didn’t look like the type to ever have an awkward or clumsy moment in her life.

“And why didn’t she introduce herself?” Oliver asked. “Or is she shy?”

“Orphan doesn’t talk,” Red Hood said.

Barry raised an eyebrow. “So she’s mute? Deaf?”

“No, she just doesn’t talk.”

“But is verbal communication not necessary in this kind of work?” John Smith questioned.

Red Hood shrugged. “She doesn’t need to talk to communicate. We function just fine. And besides, what are we supposed to do? Force her to talk?”

“I would insist on it,” Oliver said haughtily. “It makes her a weak link.”

“Really now.” Red Hood looked directly at Oliver. “I wouldn’t count her out just because of that. She’s worth her weight in gold on our team.”

“I’m so sure,” Oliver sneered.

“Enough.” The orange-haired man stepped forward. “I’m Red Robin,” he said, trying to diffuse the tension. “Pleased to meet you.”

“And you,” Zatanna returned. “Got to say, I _love _your outfit.”

“Why thank you.” Red Robin grinned at her. “Want to trade?”

“Oh _really?” _Zatanna smirked. “You think you could rock fishnets, Mister Red Robin?”

Red Robin laughed. “Listen, Miss Zatanna, I _know _I can rock fishnets. Plus, I think you’d look _damn _good in orange.”

_He has a point _I mused. _You would look good in orange._

_ Thank you Raquel _Zatanna replied.

“If you two are done acting out your favorite chick flick, maybe we can get a move on.” The purple-eyed one made a peace sign. “The name’s Spoiler. How you doing?”

“Oh my God.” Cassie clasped her hands in a praying pose. “I will die a happy woman if your catchphrase is _Spoiler Alert.”_

Spoiler sighed. “Sadly, yes. The catchphrase came first, though. Then the name kind of stuck.”

“Neat, neat.” Cissie pointed her bow at the man with the yellow helmet. “And who’s that?”

“Oh.” The man with the yellow helmet ducked his head. “I’m Signal. Hi.”

“Hi,” Cissie said politely. “Nice to meet you. You seem like a sensible person. Let me guess, you’re the only sane one in this group?”

“Actually that would be him.” Signal pointed at Penny-One. “I just hold one of the two collective brain cells.”

“Nice.” Connor grinned at him. “I like you, man. You dig okay.”

Signal smiled. “Thanks.”

The girl with the blonde and blue hair jumped in. “I’m Gotham Girl.”

I raised an eyebrow. “How patriotic of you.”

“Eh, I thought so.” Gotham Girl shrugged a shoulder. “I made my start defending Gotham City and I _intended _to remain that way. Then I fell in with these guys, and the rest is history.”

“Yes. Now you wonder around butchering aliens,” Nathaniel muttered.

“Damn right!” Gotham Girl replied cheerfully.

Nathaniel blinked. “That wasn’t meant to be a compliment.”

“Well I took it as one,” Gotham Girl retorted, raising an eyebrow. Nathaniel looked taken aback and I had to repress a giggle. It was nice to see the older, haughtier members of the League taken down a notch, especially by youngsters.

“And what about you down there?” M’gann asked the man at the right end.

He grunted. “You may call me Robin.”

“Robin, eh?” I glanced at Red Robin. “Any relation between you two?”

“We are brothers in everything but blood,” Robin said shortly.

“I see.” M’gann nodded. “Excellent. That accounts for all of you then.”

Batman’s spine straightened, something I wouldn’t have thought possible given how stiffly he was standing. “So, now that introductions are all out of the way, tell us the plan.”

Clark raised an eyebrow. “The plan? What plan?”

Batman did not seem impressed. “The plan to take out the Reach and Citadel forces.”

“Oh, _that _plan. For that, I will leave you in the capable hands of our master tactician, Diana.” Clark gestured to her. “Take it away, milady.”

“Why _Clark.” _Diana smiled at him. “Lois will be jealous.”

“Wait, I’m confused. Isn’t Lois a lesbian?” Spoiler asked.

All eyes shot to her.

“Yes,” Clark said carefully. “How did you—?”

“She’s a well-known journalist with her own Wikipedia page,” Oracle deadpanned. “It’s not that hard to figure out.”

“But how did you know _which _Lois we were talking about?” Dinah pressed.

“Uh, hello?” Red Robin waved a hand. “Lois Lane? The only reporter who can ever get an interview out of Superman? _Totally _obvious?”

“Um…” I exchanged looks with my wife.

Good grief, these people were certainly taking us for fools.

“Anyway, here is the plan.” Diana turned to the rest of us. “Gather in your teams, please.”

We all knew what to do. Slowly, we migrated into our separate teams.

The Justice League—J’onn, Clark, Kara, John, Hal, Jay, Barry, Giovanni, Zatanna, Oliver, Carter, Shiera, John Smith, Nathaniel, Augustus, me, Billy, Arthur, Tatsu, Ted, Diana, and Nubia.

The Titans—Lilith, Natasha, Wally, Will, Karen, Mal, Mary, and Donna.

The Birds of Prey—Kara, Dinah, and Mera.

The Atlanteans—Kaldur, Wyynde, Garth, Tula, Dolphin, La’gaan, and Artur.

The freelancers—Bizarro, Guy, Kyle, Roy, Artemis Grace, Rose, Essence, and Kori.

Forager’s Hive—M’gann, Artemis Crock, Connor Hawke, Jefferson, Darla, Brion, Violet, Tara, Fred Bugg, and Victor.

Young Justice—Connor Kent, Bart, Traci, Cissie, Courtney, Freddy, and Cassie.

The Teen Titans—Garfield, Mia Kent, Jaime, Mia Dearden, Traya, and Rachel.

The Outsiders—Chris, Ed, Tye, Asami, Jim, Virgil, and Grace.

“All right. We are going to need at least one of you on each team,” Diana told the Knights. “The League will hit them in space, try and occupy as much of their forces as possible. In the instance that some of them might slip past us, that is where the rest of you come in. You will use the Zeta Tubes to find where they have landed and eliminate them all. Understood?”

We all, Knights included, nodded.

“Excellent. Now, to divide you up.” Diana squinted at the Knights. “Nightwing, you will go with the Titans.”

“Roger that.” Nightwing moved over to the Titans. Wally gave him a fist bump.

“Batwoman, Oracle, and Huntress, you two can go with Kara, Dinah, and Mera.” Diana smiled. “I have the feeling you six will get along famously.”

“Sweet.” Batwoman, Oracle, and Huntress went to stand by Kara, Dinah, and Mera.

“Orphan, I want you to go with the Atlanteans.”

Orphan nodded and slipped over to stand in between Garth and Kaldur, both of who eyed her warily. I couldn’t say I blamed them.

“Red Hood and Bluebird will join the freelancers. Now _you _will _definitely _get along well.”

“Hmm.” Bluebird cocked her head as she and Red Hood slunk over to join Roy and the others. “Why freelancers?”

“Because we kill,” Rose said bluntly.

_“Really!” _Red Hood laughed. “Well, aren’t you all just a couple of outlaws!”

Roy snapped his fingers. “That’s it, that’s our name now. The Outlaws.”

“Nice choice.” Bluebird punched him in the shoulder. “I like the cut of your jib, man.”

“Ugh.” Roy rubbed his shoulder. “Thanks.”

“Signal and Gotham Girl, I want you to join Forager’s Hive,” Diana instructed.

The two nodded and went to stand in front of Fred Bugg, who clapped both sets of hands.

“Forager is delighted to have two new members of Forager’s Hive,” Fred Bugg clicked. “Forager hopes that Forager’s Hive and Signal and Gotham Girl will get along well.”

“Signal and Gotham Girl agree,” Gotham Girl said seamlessly.

Fred Bugg beamed.

I raised an eyebrow. Not even ten minutes into our first meeting and they _already _knew how to talk to Fred Bugg.

“Red Robin, you will join Young Justice.”

Red Robin saluted and obligingly waltzed over to join the gang of teenagers.

“Robin, if you would join the Teen Titans, please?”

Robin huffed but obeyed, roving over to stand next to Jaime, who looked significantly less than pleased.

“And Spoiler, you will be joining the Outsiders.”

“Sweet!” Spoiler skipped over to the Outsiders. “This is going to be so much fun!”

“Fun’s not exactly how I would describe it,” Virgil muttered.

Spoiler reached over and swatted him. “Stop being a pessimist! This’ll be fun!”

Chris sighed. “If you say so.”

Diana pointed at the remaining Knights. “The rest of you will be your own squadron. Should the need arise we will deploy you to various parts of the globe. Understood?”

Everyone nodded.

“Excellent. We have about half an hour until the Reach and Citadel arrive in our solar system. In the meantime, I suggest we all get to know one another.” Diana twisted her hands together. “I feel it would be best to establish a rapport so it will be easier for us to work together.”

I eyed the Knights along with everyone else. Get to know each other?

Try and hold conversations with serial killers?

I’d rather kiss a Reach sentinel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a detailed look at the full future superhero roster, go to my Tumblr, @delusionallunatic3791. Search The Teams. It should be around there somewhere. Also, these are my takes on the BatFam™'s uniforms. Sorry for my poor fashion sense. If I feel comfortable with it, maybe I'll post them on my Tumblr.


	23. Getting To Know Your Friendly Neighborhood Serial Killer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire gets to know her teammates and gives them some neat nicknames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some fluff before the big stuff happens.

**Claire Clover**

I bit my lip and clicked the clicker attached to my thumb. _Green Arrow’s hair is on fire. Real? Not real?_

_ Not real _everyone else clicked back, and in perfect unison, no less.

We all had clickers installed in the thumbs of our gloves so that we could send each other messages in Morse code. Since we didn’t have telepathy and sign language could be interpreted easily by the various linguists in the room, this was the next best thing.

And besides, better not to let them know that I hallucinated. Then they’d _definitely _question my ability to do my job. And I didn’t want that.

“Excuse Forager, Gotham Girl?”

I turned to smile at the four-armed alien. “Yes, Forager?”

Forager clasped both sets of hands. “Forager would like to know how Gotham Girl and the Gotham City Knights knew about the Justice League and the Justice League’s deceased members.”

“Oh. Well, the Gotham City Knights hacked the League of Shadows,” I explained. “The Gotham City Knights learned everything.”

Terra jerked her head over at me. “You hacked the League of Shadows? How?”

I shrugged. “I have absolutely no idea. You’ll have to ask Oracle and Red Robin—they’re kind of our resident hackers.”

“So wait…” Mighty Marvel frowned. “If you can hack the Shadows…could you hack us?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Signal said lightly, examining his gloves. “How do you think we found out who the Citadel was?”

_“You hacked the Justice League!” _Tigress gaped at us.

“Yeah.” I brushed some hair out of my face. “It’s not really that hard, according to Oracle and Red Robin. You’ve made some rookie mistakes with your firewalls.”

_“Rookie mistakes?” _Cyborg squawked. “What _rookie mistakes?”_

Signal shrugged. “How should we know? Again, we’re not the expert hackers. That would be Oracle and Red Robin. So if you want answers, go and talk to them.”

“I _will. __Rookie mistakes,” _Cyborg muttered. “I’ll show them _rookie mistakes.”_

The wires in his body were shining. I blinked in awe. Real or not real, it sure was pretty.

“Victor, Victor. You’re sparking,” Black Lightning said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Oh, so it _was _real.

“Sorry.” Cyborg took a deep breath.

“Steady there, Megatron, we meant no offense,” I told him, raising my hands in a surrendering gesture.

Cyborg blinked. “Mega-_what _now?”

“Megatron? You know, the Transformer? It’s your nickname,” Signal told him.

“You have a nickname for me?” Now Cyborg just looked confused—and a little flattered.

“Yep.” I gestured at the room. “We have nicknames for all of you.”

“Really? What is my nickname?” Halo asked, pointing a finger at herself.

I bit my lip. “I think you’re…Beyoncé. Yep, definitely Beyoncé.”

Halo raised an eyebrow. “Why Beyoncé?”

“Because of your name.” Signal smiled politely at her. “And because you’re as pretty as her.”

Halo made a squeaking noise. An orange aura surrounded her and she floated in the air. “Did you hear, Brion?” she asked Geoforce. “I am as pretty as Beyoncé!”

Geoforce smiled happily at her. “Yes, you certainly are.” He glanced at me. “What about me?”

“Lava Boy. Like from the movie Shark Boy and Lava Girl, you know? Lave Boy,” I told him.

“Me?” Terra asked.

“Terror. Because you inspire terror in the hearts of men.”

Terra nodded. “I see.”

“What is Forager’s nickname?” Forager inquired.

“Buggs Bunny.”

“Interesting,” Forager clicked. “Forager is Buggs Bunny. Forager’s nickname will be Buggs Bunny from now on. When jesting, Forager’s Hive shall call Forager Buggs Bunny.”

“Likewise, I shall henceforth be known as Lava Boy,” Geoforce declared.

“Ooh, ooh, I am Beyoncé!” Halo exclaimed, floating back down to the ground.

Terra cracked a smile. “I guess I am all right with Terror.”

“Sweet, I’m Megatron!” Victor declared.

“What am I?” Miss Martian piped up.

“Snow White,” Signal said.

“Why—oh. Right.” Miss Martian smacked her forehead. “Hello Megan! I am a white Martian.”

Huh. So she really did do that in real life. I’d seen it in video clips before, of course, but hearing it in person was something else altogether.

Tigress raised a hand. “What’s mine?”

“Will Scarlet.”

“Huh?” Tigress frowned. “But my name isn’t even Will. That makes no sense, how did you come up with that one?”

“It’s a Robin Hood reference,” I explained.

“Ah. I see.” Tigress nodded begrudgingly. “Good one.”

“Do me, do me!” Mighty Marvel squealed.

“You’re Junior Junioress,” Signal told her.

“Eeek, I love it!” Mighty Marvel did a dance. “Junior Junioress.”

Cyborg frowned. “That’s not a word.”

“Neither is Megatron,” I countered.

He shrugged. “Fair.”

“What about me?” Black Lightning asked.

“Zap.”

“Cute,” he chuckled.

“Ahem.” Gold Arrow coughed from behind the rest of them. “If Tigress is Will Scarlet, then who am I?”

“You’re King Richard.”

“Awesome.” Gold Arrow smiled to himself. “I’m a king.”

Terra grinned at him. “You certainly are.”

Gold Arrow blushed.

“Wait a minute.” Halo pointed at us. “What are _your _nicknames?”

“Oh. I’m Sign and she’s Little G,” Signal said, pointing to himself, then me.

“Sign and Little G.” Cyborg rolled the words around in his mouth. “Appropriate. All right, Sign and Little G it is.”

Alarms began to blare throughout the room. I jerked my head up. Beside me, Signal and the others did the same.

At least I wasn’t the only one hearing things.

“They’re here!” I heard Superman bark. “Justice League, to the airlock! Go, go, _go!”_

Everyone sprang into action, the Justice League running off to another part of the Watchtower while the rest of us stood, tense.

“I am afraid,” Halo whispered. “I do not want to kill anyone.”

“Don’t worry,” I soothed. “You don’t have to. That’s why we’re here, isn’t it? You won’t have to kill anyone.”

Halo smiled weakly. “Thank you.”

“How does it feel?” Geoforce asked. “To kill, I mean.”

Signal and I glanced at each other.

“The first time…it feels weird.” Signal was struggling to get the words out. “It’s like the worlds stops and it’s nothing but you and the blood on your hands. You feel…it, it feels…”

“Awful?” Miss Martian suggested. “Despicable? Life-ruining?”

This coming from the woman who ripped into people’s minds and essentially lobotomized them, but I decided to refrain from pointing that out.

“Yes, but there’s also…” Signal swallowed. “It’s…”

“What?” Terra pressed.

_“Powerful,” _I breathed.

Everyone looked taken aback.

“It’s strange,” I continued. “Yes, a part of it does feel wrong. But there’s a certain _rush _that comes with knowing that someone’s life is in your hands, and a _thrill _to watch them die. Killing is sheer, unadulterated _power. _It’s downright _godly.”_

Tigress shuddered. “That sounds _horrifying.”_

“It can be,” Signal admitted. “Until you get used to it.”

“I don’t want to get used to it,” Mighty Marvel said quietly. “I don’t ever want to kill someone.”

“And I hope you never have to,” I told her. “I hope you never lose that innocence.”

Not like we did. But then we were destined to lose our innocence.

Signal slid his hand into mine and squeezed it gently. Silent support.

I looked at these superheroes before me, these _people, _and prayed that they would do what my family couldn’t and never kill a single soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a complete look at the JL's nicknames, check my Tumblr. @delusionallunatic3791
> 
> Also, Claire also has psychosis. You can find that list on my Tumblr too.


	24. The Sidelines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lian chips in for a bit and we get to see what's going on on the sidelines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, EVEN MORE fluff before the fighting. But this is a little necessary.

**Lian Nguyen-Harper**

I stared at Anissa in shock. “You’re kidding me. You have a crush on _who _now?”

Anissa blushed. “Grace Choi. I can’t _help _it, she’s just so _pretty _and _strong _and her voice is so _gritty…”_

“Oooh! Nissa and Gracie, sitting in a tree!” Jennifer chanted. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in a baby carriage!”

“Be quiet!” Anissa hissed. “Mom might hear you!”

I winced. “I take it your mom still doesn’t like you liking girls?”

“Nope.” Anissa hung her head. “If anything, she’s gotten worse. She turned off Ellen the other day because she didn’t want us listening to that _fag.” _She shuddered. “She didn’t want _me _getting _ideas. _I really want to move in with my dad, but I’m too worried about the court battle.”

“What about Augustus?” I pressed. “Do you think he’ll be any help?”

Anissa and Jennifer’s mom had recently remarried—to Augustus Freeman, _Icon, _no less! That was kind of out of left field, and sometimes I wondered why they married in the first place.

But I caught them looking at each other. There was real love there, something I hadn’t ever seen in between Anissa and Jennifer’s mom and dad. So maybe things would work out better now.

From the look on Anissa’s face, I doubted it would be that simple.

“No. See, he has very…_traditional _ways of looking at things. You know, because he’s lived for so long. He crash-landed on Earth way back in 1839, so he’s kind of stuck in their mindset.”

I frowned. “What mindset?”

Anissa lowered her voice. “The _ancient Catholic _mindset.”

Jennifer shook her head. “I don’t like going to church. It’s boring there, and I have to just sit there while everyone sings and prays, and the old man at the front just talks about things I don’t understand.”

“Yeah.” Anissa grimaced. “And last time we were there, the dude talked about how being gay was a sin.”

“So he’s not a real Catholic, then,” I summed up.

“Basically,” Anissa agreed.

“I don’t want to live with Mommy anymore,” Jennifer whined, kicking her legs. “I want to stay with Daddy! He doesn’t make us go to church and he reads us bedtime stories and he doesn’t make us pray before every meal.”

_“And _he’s open-minded,” Anissa muttered. “And I don’t care what Mom says, I’d rather live with a _fag _parent than a super-mega-ultra-Catholic one.”

“Harsh, but I get what you’re saying.” I reached over and patted Anissa on the shoulder. “Sorry. That’s got to suck.”

“It does.” Anissa sniffed. “And I can’t even _tell _Dad because I _know _he’d want custody and _that _would start _another _court battle. And I _really _don’t want that.”

“Okay, but if it gets really bad, you can always come hang out at my place,” I said, smiling at my friend. “Okay?”

“Okay.” Anissa grinned at me. “Thanks, Lian.”

“Don’t mention it.” I punched her in the shoulder. “What are super-besties for?”

“Hey!” Jennifer piped up. _“I _want to be a super-bestie!”

“You can be,” I told her. _“All _of us kids are super-besties.”

“Yay, super-besties!” Jennifer cheered.

“Who’re the super-besties?” Dawn sped over to sit beside us, her tawny hair slightly ruffled.

“Us,” I explained. “It’s the superhero best friend group. You know, super-besties.”

“Sweet,” Dawn said. “Can I be a super-bestie?”

_“Everyone _here is a super-bestie,” Anissa chuckled. “Even the boys. What are they doing, anyway?”

Looking over, I saw Jai and Irey and Jan and Don and Jon spinning around and around while Amistad counted out loud on his watch.

“Hi!” Rhea came running up, closely followed by Aunt Cynthia. The two girls stood in front of us, grinning. Rhea was missing several teeth and Aunt Cynthia had a band-aide on her face.

“What’re you talking about?” Rhea plopped down in front of us.

“Big girl stuff,” Anissa said.

“We’re big girls too!” Aunt Cynthia protested.

I laughed. “We were talking about boys.”

“Oooh, boys!” Aunt Cynthia clapped her hands together. “I like boys! I like Don! Don is nice! And pretty!”

_“Really.” _Dawn raised an eyebrow. “My _brother. _Nice. Pretty.”

“Yep! We’re going to be married someday!” Aunt Cynthia declared.

“You are _not!” _Jennifer gasped.

“Are _so! _Watch!” Aunt Cynthia turned and called, “Don? We’re going to get married, right?”

“You bet!” Don yelled back, still spinning. “We just have to wait until we’re older.”

“Okay!” Aunt Cynthia smirked at us. “See? I told you!”

Behind her, the adults were laughing heartily. I couldn’t blame them. The idea of two eight-year-olds getting married was pretty weird.

“So, Nissa likes Gracie and Cyn likes Donnie.” Jennifer nodded. “That makes sense. I like Jai. He’s neat.”

“He _is _pretty cool.” Dawn ran a hand through her hair. “He likes to cook with stuff. The last time he visited he helped us make pizza. It was _really _good.”

“Ooh! Do you think he could make me a birthday cake?” Jennifer asked.

“Probably.” Dawn raised her voice. “Hey, Jai! Can you make Jennifer a birthday cake?”

Jai was laying facedown on the floor but he gave us the thumbs up.

“Yay!” Jennifer cheered. “Thanks, Jai! You’re the best!”

“You’re welcome,” Jai groaned.

“What’s wrong with him?” Rhea asked.

“Think he’s dizzy,” Dawn answered. “Spinning around at high speeds does that.”

“Boys are idiots,” I sighed.

“Yep,” everyone else agreed.

“Irey is really nice, though,” Rhea said. “I like him. He told me my hair was pretty.”

“Your hair _is _pretty,” Anissa told her.

Rhea smiled. “Thanks!”

“So Nissa likes Gracie, Cyn likes Donnie, I like Little J, and Titan likes Little I.” Jennifer pursed her lips. “Who do _you _like, Dawny?”

“Um.” Dawn blushed. “I like Jan. He’s _really _nice to me.” She held out her hand, showcasing a pretty diamond ring. “Look at what he made me!”

“Wow, that’s _really _pretty.” Jennifer leaned closer. “Where’d he get the diamond?”

“He just pulled it out of thin air!” Dawn giggled. “He told me he made it out of oxygen. Isn’t that neat?”

_“Super _neat!” I fingered the black pearls around my neck. I wore them every day. They were my favorite piece of jewelry besides the watch my mom had given me. “Art gave me these.”

“I noticed.” Anissa smirked at me. “He _totally _has a crush on you.”

Blinking, I tilted my head to the side. “You think?”

“I _know, _honey.” Anissa reached over and touched my pearl necklace. “He wouldn’t get just anyone this expensive a necklace.”

“But isn’t he demisexual?” I asked.

“Y’all have been friends since you were _born!” _Dawn pointed out.

“Technically, he was five when I was born,” I returned.

“And since then you’ve been friends, right?” Jennifer questioned.

“Yep.”

“And when did he start giving you pretty, expensive presents?” Anissa pressed.

I squinted. “About two years ago. But he’s _fifteen. _I’m _ten. _Don’t you think that’s a little, I don’t know, _young _to be dating?”

“But Li_an, _it’s true love!” Aunt Cynthia whined.

“It’s a little too early for that,” I said. “Look, _he _might have a crush on _me, _but _I _don’t have a crush on _him.”_

_“Yet,” _Rhea added, grinning.

_“I’ll _be the one to decide who I fall in love with,” I declared. “And if it’s Art, then it’s Art. If it’s not, then it’s not. Feel me?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jennifer grumbled. “You’re no fun.”

“I’m _realistic,” _I corrected.

Suddenly an alarm blared out. We all jumped and immediately huddled together.

“What’s going on?” Rhea whimpered.

“My guess is that the aliens have invaded,” Anissa said.

“What aliens?” Jennifer asked. “I thought they all left?”

“They came back.” I wrapped my arms around myself. “And now we have to get rid of them again.”

“Do you…” Anissa glanced at me. “Do you think your mom knows anything about it?”

I winced at the mention of my mom. “I don’t think so. She didn’t even know that _Bà ngoại _was dead. So I don’t think Mom knows anything about this.”

I _hoped _she didn’t.

Sometimes it sucked having a mom who was a supervillain. I never knew where she _was _or when she was going to be _home. _Or what she’d be _like _when I came home. Once she’d come to my birthday party on crutches with a broken leg. I never told her or Dad, but I’d cried myself to sleep that night.

And when Dad went out to fight crime, I always wondered if this time, _this time, _Mom would be part of the problem and she and Dad would have to fight. I didn’t like the idea.

“It’s okay.” Dawn snuggled up to me, patting my knee helpfully. “It’s aliens. Your mom doesn’t like aliens. You’re okay.”

I smiled weakly at her. “Thanks, Dawn.”

I wish I believed her.

“Are my mommy and daddy going to be okay?” Rhea asked. She sounded scared.

“Of course they will be,” Aunt Cynthia scolded. “They’ll _all _be okay. They’re superheroes! Nothing bad happens to superheroes!”

I exchanged glances with Anissa, Uncle Roy’s prosthetic arm and _Bà ngoại’s _body flashing through my head.

“We’ll be all right,” Jennifer said. “We’ll be all right. Right Li?”

I swallowed. “Sure we will.”

At least I _hoped _we would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might post a full list of the Justice League's sexualities one day. One day…
> 
> Also, for those of you who like Augustus and Lynn, I apologize. They'll get better as the story progresses.


	25. No Gossip During Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diana goes to battle, in more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY, THE ACTION.

**Diana Prince**

_So _Oliver said as those of us who were _not_able to breathe in space boarded the fighter jets. _What’d you think of the Knights?_

_ Is now really the best time for this? _Clark sighed.

_Hey, no time like the present._

_ I think they’re fairly threatening _Nathaniel said frankly. He as well as J’onn, Clark, Giovanni, Zatanna, John Smith, Augustus, Raquel, John Smith, and Hal stood in front of the bay door, waiting until we caught sight of the invasion force to fly out. _And rude._

_ You’re just saying that because that Gotham Girl put you in your place _Barry chuckled. _That was awesome._

_ I know, right! _Hal cackled.

_They need to show some respect _Augustus grumbled. _We are their superiors._

_ Are we? Because I don’t remember creating a ranking system _Raquel pointed out. _We aren’t superior to them, neither are they superior to us. We’re equals._

_ We are _not _equals _Giovanni said indignantly. _We are their betters! We are—!_

_ We are what, not killers? Because we _all _know _that_is not true _Nubia growled from the seat beside me. _None of us here have clean hands, and you would do well to remember that, _Zatara.

We _kill out of necessity _Nathaniel got out through gritted teeth. They _kill because it’s _fun.

_Enough, enough! _I snapped. _This is not an argument we should be having, so I will settle it for you. We are all equals with different work styles and methods. That is the last I will hear of the matter or I will personally send you to Hell! Am I understood?_

The three men grumbled but quieted down.

_Hey, Diana, Nubia, did either of you read something off about them? _Billy asked. _Or, Giovanni, Zatanna…I don’t know, anyone?_

Mr. Zatara, _if you would _Giovanni said coolly.

_Shut up, Dad. And yeah, I felt something. _I sensed more than felt Zatanna shudder. _It was so cold._

_ What was? _Raquel asked.

_They had…it’s weird. I felt like someone was holding a knife to my neck _Billy said quietly. _It’s like the magical read I usually get off of a magician, or a demigod, but…it’s not like yours. Magicians are mischievous and witty, and a demigod usually reflects their parents’ power. In your case, Diana and Nubia, your power feels like adrenaline and headiness, for Ares. But for them, I felt…I don’t even know how to describe it._

_ Then let the adults handle it _Nathaniel suggested.

_Nathaniel, I’m warning you _Zatanna growled.

_Actually, I haven’t the slightest as to how to describe it either _Giovanni admitted._The only way I know how to describe it is as…_

_ Death _I said grimly. _It felt like the touch of Death._

_ Death. _It had taken J’onn great pains to figure out how to patch John Smith into our mind link, and it had involved some magic on Giovanni’s part, but he was here, his voice as eerily human and inhuman as ever. Now he sounded mildly concerned. _You say you felt the touch of Death on these newcomers._

_ Yes. _Nubia and I exchanged glances. _Very rarely have either of us felt the touch of Death this strongly _Nubia continued. _And never among the living._

_ So what you’re saying is that these people feel like Death _Jefferson summed up.

_Basically._

_ But what does that mean? _John Stewart asked. _What are they, zombies?_

_ Oh God, not zombies _Hal groaned.

_They aren’t zombies _Billy assured them. _They’re very much alive. It just feels like they’ve been blessed by Death._

_ You mean to tell me Death made them into their fifteen apostles? _Barry squawked.

_Something like that _Giovanni agreed.

_All right, that’s it, I’m opting out. _I knew Oliver was holding his hands up. _Serial killers are one thing, but I’m not dealing with cultists._

I sighed. Part of me wished that Dinah were still part of the Justice League, if only so she could knock some sense into Oliver.

_They’re not cultists _Billy said, exasperated. _More like Death has chosen them for something._

_Like what? _Clark asked.

_My guess is He wants them to kill for Him? _Nubia shook her head. _Who knows? We will have to ask about it later._

_ How do you know Death’s a guy? _Zatanna asked curiously.

_Thanatos has always appeared male _I told her. _Usually naked._

_Damn, thirsty much? _Raquel muttered.

_I do not understand _Carter chimed in. _What does thirst have to do with a naked man?_

_ I’ll tell you later _Billy said, sounding like he was trying not to laugh.

Our sensors went off. The airlock opened.

_Forward, NOW! _I bellowed.

The vacuum-hardy heroes shot forward, the rest of us following in the fighter jets.

Almost immediately we were met with a barrage of spaceships, all of them shooting lasers at us.

“Go right!” Nubia yelled and I obeyed, twisting to the side to avoid the ship that was firing at our flank. Squeezing her own controls, Nubia fired at the ship. It exploded on contact.

We had a system—I was the better pilot, so I flew. Nubia was the better shot, so she shot the guns. It worked well—we both took down a large number of enemies this way. It was also a lot of fun to work with my sister.

Swerving around, I chased a trio trying to shoot down Hal and Zatanna. Nubia blasted them and took out two, but the third had to be hit by a rocket thought up by Hal.

“Why do we not do this more often?” Nubia asked as she fired at another ship and missed. She cursed in Greek.

“Because this happens quite rarely.” I dove after another ship, twisting the controls. “And besides, I would rather a nice sword-fight than a chase in a fighter jet.”

“True.” Nubia hit one ship that went careening into another. “Or wrestling. Wrestling is nice.”

“A good sparring session never goes wrong,” I agreed, swerving to avoid more lasers. “And the lasso is amazing.”

“Yes. Three coming up on our right.”

I nodded, flipping over them. “Have any made it past us yet?”

Nubia shook her head. “I do not think—”

_SHIT!_

Hal’s scream rattled through our heads.

_What, what? _I yelled, diving low to avoid another laser.

_Eight squadrons just flew past us _John reported. _They were too fast to catch. They’re headed to Earth right now._

_ Can you find out where? _Clark demanded.

_Yes. _A pause, then _Looks like they’re headed for several places. New York City. Star City. San Juan. Gotham City. London. Happy Harbor. Y’dah. Central City. Houston._

_ Send out the teams _I ordered. _But be careful whom you send to Y’dah. That is in Bialya, Queen Bee’s territory._

_ We’ll send Young Justice _Oliver suggested. _Most of them like men anyway._

Well, he was half-right.

_Hey, guys? I think I found the control ships _Billy announced.

Looking up, I saw two massive ships looming above everything else. One was triangular, the other circular.

_Try and concentrate fire on them _Carter suggested. _Their destruction might cause the fleet to scatter._

_ Good thinking _Nubia praised._Let us go!_

My face set in a grim line, I sent us shooting forward.

No aliens would touch the Earth again.

Not if I had anything to say about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll explain Nubia in a later chapter, pinkie promise.


	26. In A New York Minute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Titans get some action—and some new nicknames!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, even MORE action. Sorry, but you've got a coupple more chapters of violence to work through before you get to the philosophy.

**Lilith Clay**

Nightwing was practically vibrating with excitement as he stepped out of the Zeta Tube into Titans Tower.

“Wow.” Natasha eyed him judgmentally. “Didn’t know killing excited you so much.”

“It’s not that.” Nightwing cocked his head. “I mean, killing _does _produce an adrenaline rush, but I’m more excited about being in Titans Tower. I’ve never been inside before.”

“We’ll have to give you a tour later.” Wally glanced at Donna. “What’s the plan, boss?”

“Do not call me that.” Donna bit her lip in concentration. “W—Flamebird—”

“It’s fine,” Nightwing said easily. “I already know who you all are.”

I raised an eyebrow. _“How?”_

“Educated guesses, some detective work, and plain old eyesight.” Nightwing shrugged. “I mean, do you _really _think a pair of glasses and a country accent is going to fool us?”

“Yes,” Karen said bluntly.

Nightwing grinned. “Sorry, but we’re as smart as we are pretty.”

Mal squinted. “You’re not that pretty.”

_Liar. _Nightwing was positively gorgeous, and everyone here knew it.

“Focus!” Donna clapped her hands. “Wally, I want you to inform the NYPD about the aliens. Their squadron landed in Central Park. Let us try and keep them there. Kill your enemies.”

Mary raised a hand. “Um…”

“Or knock them out and bring them to Nightwing, whatever works for you.” Donna drew her sword. “Now, let us go!”

Wally sped off and the rest of us bolted out the door to the Titans vehicle. Karen shrank down and she and Mary and Natasha and Donna took off to fly beside us while the rest of the Titans, plus Nightwing, squeezed into the vehicle and took off, making a beeline for Central Park.

“So, do you need any pointers for fighting the Reach?” Mal asked Nightwing. “Like, their weak points or something?”

Nightwing shook his head. “No, thank you. I got an up-close look at their weak points.”

“When?” I asked, confused. Then it hit me. “Oh, right. When you were…um…”

“Torturing them, yes.” Nightwing raised an eyebrow. “You guys really aren’t comfortable with our shtick, are you?”

“You could say that,” Mal muttered, weaving in and out of traffic.

Nightwing shrugged. “Sorry about that.”

“Okay, give it to us straight.” Mary cleared her throat. “Is there _any _chance you’ll give up that part of your job?”

“Yeah, no. Sorry.” And he did sound sorry. “That’s not an option.”

“What, do you really like killing that much?” Will asked coldly.

For the first time since I’d met him, Nightwing frowned. “No. Not one of us enjoys killing.”

“I doubt that highly,” Karen muttered.

“Believe what you want, but it’s the truth. Killing is a terrible thing.”

“Then why do it at all?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nightwing was opening his mouth when the vehicle screeched to a halt.

“Everyone out,” Donna ordered, her voice sharp. Already in warrior mode.

Nightwing’s face immediately hardened. There was a cruel twist to his mouth, and I wondered if it was there for real, or if he was forcing it.

From what he’d just told us, my guess was for the latter.

We all slipped out of the vehicle.

“We need to spread out,” Mary said, her body trembling. “They’re stationed in the middle of the park and spreading fast.”

“Roger that. We’ll cover the whole park. Wally, let us know if any escape. If you see any civilians, yell to one of us who can fly or teleport so we can get them out of there.” Donna turned to face us. “Ready?”

We all nodded grimly.

“Right. Lilith, establish the psychic link. We do not want them intercepting our communication.”

I nodded and closed my eyes, reaching out with my mind to touch everyone else’s—even Wally’s, though he was on the other side of the park. _Everyone online?_

_ Here _everyone responded.

_This is so cool _Nightwing remarked. _And much better than when Psimon got in our heads._

_ You worked with Psimon? _Mary yelped.

_No, we _killed _Psimon _Nightwing responded easily. _Sheesh, did you really expect anything else?_

_ I guess not _Karen sighed. _Did he at least die with dignity?_

_ Er… _Nightwing looked shifty. _Define dignity._

_ Great. _Donna blew her hair out of her eyes. _Anyway, be ready to move out. Wally, circle the perimeter. If anything tries to escape, you turn it back or bring it to Nightwing. Everyone else, take an eight-point arc—Nightwing, you take the northern point. The rest of you know what to do. Kill or capture, and if you capture, bring them to the center of the park for Nightwing to take care of. Got it?_

We all nodded.

_Good. Now go!_

I immediately teleported to the northwest point—my usual point. Closing my eyes, I stretched my senses out and found three groups of five Citadel soldiers and one group of four Reach sentinels.

Gritting my teeth, I charged forward.

Two of the Citadel groups came up immediately, all naked blue gorillas. One of them spotted me and roared, charging.

My palms up, I fired two energy blasts into its chest, knocking it away. It flew back and crashed into three others, knocking them all out.

Great. Four down. Two left.

The other two were smarter about their approach. One drew back while the other lunged forward, dodging my blasts and swinging its fist at me in a right cross.

Flinging my arm up, I drew a shield, smirking when its fist rocketed off the energy. It doubled back, clutching its fist.

Letting the shield drop, I used my telekinesis to pick the soldier up and swing it into the other with an almighty _crack. _They both crumbled, unconscious.

“Lilith two, aliens zero,” I muttered, smiling.

Another gorilla crashed through the trees, snarling.

I stepped aside, letting it stumble over its fallen comrades before my telekinesis slammed it headfirst into the ground, effectively rendering it unconscious.

The other two were lingering just beyond me, probably trying to come up with a plan. Biting my lip, I reached out, focusing—

It was too easy to slip into their minds, pulling the right strings to knock them out. Grinning, I listened to their bodies falling to the ground with satisfying _thuds._

_How is everyone? _Wally asked. _I’ve only come across two stragglers._

_They fall too easily _Donna remarked. _No wonder the Knights took them down so easily._

_ I know, right? _Nightwing crowed. _What’s the body count?_

_ I’ve got nine for you already, four more coming _I reported. _What’s _your _body count?_

_ Killed twenty _he said almost cheerfully. _Three left. Hey Watermelon, can I head your way first?_

I blinked as I walked, tracking the Reach sentinels, using my telekinesis to carry the unconscious Citadel soldiers with me. _Who’s Watermelon?_

_ You. It’s your superhero nickname._

_ Oh that is so cool! _Wally gasped. _What’re ours?_

_ Well, let’s think. Starlight is Super Iron Lady. Flamebird, you’re Speed Racer. Red Arrow is Will Stutely. Bumblebee is Busy Bee. Herald is Malcolm X. Mary Marvel is Junioress. Troia is Helen._

_ Who’re you? _Natasha asked.

_Wing. Duh._

_ Neat._

I’d wonder at how weird it was to hear this virtual stranger calling us by our nicknames later. Right now I had a bunch of aliens to catch.

I came to a small open spot and saw the Reach sentinels there. Odd. They were right in the open. Carefully, I stepped into the open—

“Lilith? Lilith! Hey Lil, open your eyes!

I did—and saw nothing but black. “What—?”

“Hey, Lil, can you hear me?”

“Yeah.” I blinked. “Wally?”

“Yep. Right here in front of you.” A pause. “Is your vision okay? I’m looking right at you.”

“You are?” I reached up with one hand and met a familiar face with my palm. “Wally?”

“Lil, you’re scaring me. I’m right here and—holy _shit, _your eyes are bleeding!”

“What!” I brought my hands to my face and felt a liquid seeping out of my eyes. “What’s happening? Wally, what’s happening?”

“Wally!” That was Donna. “What is going on here—oh gods, Lilith, your eyes!”

“What’s going on?” I sobbed. I could feel more liquid flooding from my eyes—blood or tears, I didn’t know which. “What’s going on? Why can’t I see?”

“What do we do?” I heard Natasha gasp. “What do we do?”

“Calm down.”

That was Nightwing. Warm hands grasped my shoulders and gently pulled me into a sitting position. “Hey, Omen. Can you tell me how many fingers I’m holding up?”

I squinted. Nothing but black. “No?”

“All right, then let’s try this. I’m going to do a scan of your brain, okay? It won’t hurt, but I’m just letting you know, okay?”

There was a cool touch of metal to my forehead, then a slight buzzing sound. Then the metal was gone and Nightwing was cussing under his breath.

“What?” I asked worriedly. “What is it?”

“There’s severe damage to your occipital lobe.”

“And that would be…?” Natasha trailed off.

“It’s the part of the brain that deals with sight,” Karen explained. “If there’s damage there, then the eyesight could be compromised.”

“Compromised?” My heart stopped. “You mean…”

“I’m sorry, Omen.” And Nightwing did sound sorry. “You’re blind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, Lilith's blind. How will this be resolved? I'll explain later.


	27. Girl's Day Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mera and the Birds of Prey get to know each other—while killing some aliens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY I MISSED AN UPDATE. My Word was being a little bitch. Anyway, enjoy some girl power.

**Y’mera Xebella Challa**

“So, before we bust some alien heads, is their anything you need to know?” Kara asked the three vigilantes as we stepped through the Zeta Tube onto Bay Street, the road beside the beaches of Star City.

“Depends.” Batwoman fixed us with a questioning gaze. “Any of you uncomfortable with killing?”

“I have killed before, as have the rest of us,” I told her solemnly. “We will be fine.”

“Neat.” Huntress brushed her hair out of her face. “Anything _you_ need to know?”

“Koriand’r told us about the Citadel’s weak points and Jaime told us about the Reach’s weak points, so we should be good.” Kara cocked her head. “Unless you guys have any other points?”

“Aim for the necks,” Oracle suggested. They have a weak point just below the jugular—a chink in the armor. Hit it hard enough or with something sharp and it’ll die pretty quickly.”

“Thank you.” Dinah snapped her fingers. “You might want some sound protection. I’ll be using my Canary Cry, and that can do a lot of damage.”

“Already on it.” Batwoman tapped her mask. “These things protect against ultra sound waves. In other words, our masks are Canary Cry-proof.”

“Excellent.” Dinah glanced at Kara and I. “You two?”

I gave her the thumbs up. “I have heard the mating cry of the Karathen. I can handle a Canary Cry.”

“And we all know I’m good!” Kara grinned. “Kryptonian ears for the win!”

A loud roar had us all turning around to see three Citadel soldiers and twelve Reach sentinels charging up the beach.

Only, they were going really slowly.

“All right, does anyone mind if I just wipe these things out?” I asked.

Everyone shrugged. Oracle bowed to me. “Be my guest,” she said, and I sensed she was being sincere in her gesture.

Lifting my hands, I felt my tattoos swirl around my body as I focused my will on the water, bending it to my whim as easily as Kara could bend steel.

A barrage of icicles shot from the ocean, impaling all of the aliens through the eyes and dropping them dead.

“Impressive.” Huntress applauded me. “There’s nothing a little magic can’t solve.”

“You mean you don’t have magic?” Dinah blinked at them.

“Nope,” Batwoman said, popping the P. “We’re all just regular humans.”

_“What?”_ Kara squawked.

“Well, except for Signal. He’s meta. Nothing flashy, though. Just light vision.”

“Still cool.”

Another team of aliens came up—all Reach sentinels this time, eight of them.

Batwoman held up her guns. “May I?”

“Please, go ahead,” Dinah said.

_Bang._

_ Bang._

_ Bang._

_ Bang._

_ Bang._

_Bang._

_ Bang._

_ Bang._

Eight more bodies joined the carpet.

“Excellent shots,” Kara praised. “Where did you learn to shoot like that?”

Batwoman shrugged. “Penny-One taught me. He’s a _brilliant_ shot. Taught me everything I know about sharpshooting.”

Dinah frowned. “But can he shoot a bow?”

“Hmm.” Batwoman bit her lip. “Honestly, no idea.”

Huntress patted her crossbow. “He’s a Hell of a shot with a crossbow, though.”

“And basically any type of gun,” Oracle added.

A roar split the air and a single massive gorilla came charging over the sand.

“I got this.” Huntress pulled out and expanded her crossbow. Grabbing an arrow, she knocked it and took aim, squinting.

The gorilla roared right as the arrow impaled it right in between its eyes.

“Wow.” I brushed a strand of hair from my face. “You could give the archers a run for their money.”

“Eh.” Huntress shrugged. “Maybe someday we can have an archery contest.”

Dinah chuckled. “I’d _love_ to see you wipe the smirk off of Ollie’s face.”

I could not see her face, but I sensed that Oracle was raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you two engaged?”

“Yes.”

“Ah.” Batwoman shook her head. “I remember my fiancée and I used to love getting into contests at the shooting range.”

““Used to?”” Kara blinked. “What, did marriage get in the way of things?”

“No.” Batwoman’s mouth twisted. “She died.”

“Oh.” My heart twinged in sympathy. “I am so sorry.”

“It’s all right.” Batwoman’s smile was bittersweet. “She’s in a better place now.”

“That she is,” I agreed.

This time, there were eight Reach sentinels trekking down the beach.

“I call dibs!” Kara surged forward, eyes blazing.

“Does anyone else feel like this is kind of a waste of our time?” Oracle asked as we watched Kara demolish the Reach sentinels.

“Indeed, I feel as though our talents are wasted here, given that we have already slaughtered every enemy that came our way,” I remarked. “Are there any more enemies?”

“Let me check.” Batwoman tapped her mask. After a few seconds she said, “Nope. We got them all.”

“In that case, how about we go get frozen yogurt? My treat,” Dinah suggested as Kara flew back. “The local shop is used to serving vigilantes at odd hours.”

“I could eat,” Oracle agreed.

“Neat!” Kara started walking. “Let’s go!”

We all followed her.

“So tell me, do you have any significant others?” I asked.

“Meh, not at the moment,” Huntress said easily. “I’m not looking for anyone at the moment.”

“Me too,” Oracle agreed. “I’m enjoying the single life.”

“Same, girl.” Kara gave her a fist bump.

“I’m just trying to recover from my last girlfriend.” Batwoman bit her lip. “She was a good woman. I miss her.”

“What, did you two break up?” Dinah asked.

“No, she died.” Batwoman blew out a breath. “My dates have a tendency of doing that.”

“How awful.” I shook my head. “This life of ours is hard, definitely. It can be hard to love someone with this mission on our shoulders.”

“Very true.” Huntress glanced at me. “How on Earth did you land Aquaman?”

I blinked. “You mean you do not know the story? And here I thought you knew everything about us.”

“Well, we know the general gist of things, but we don’t know the exact details.” Oracle waved a hand. “We know you got together during the battle for Atlantis and got married two years later, but what happened in between? Were there dates? Flowers? Arguments?”

The frozen yogurt shop was right across the street from us.

“Tell you what.” I smiled at my new teammates. “Let us eat our frozen yogurt and I will tell you all about it.”


	28. A Whole New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garth and Co. stand by as Orphan kicks some ass—and meet someone unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOP MY ATLANTEAN BABIES.

**Garth**

As my team spilled out onto the streets of San Juan, I could not stop myself from glancing at our newest member.

Orphan stood perfectly still. She never made the slightest move unless she was walking somewhere. And here, in the calm before a battle, she was frozen in place. A strange sort of energy was leaking off of her, and I was not sure I was entirely comfortable with it.

“All right.” Kaldur’s voice was strong and fierce. “How many of you here are comfortable with killing?”

Orphan raised a hand. No one else did.

“I see.” Kaldur looked at Orphan. “Then I suppose the task of killing will fall to you. Apologies—”

Orphan waved a hand.

Another thing that scared me about her was that she was so _quiet._ She did not make a single sound. I could not hear the thud of her footsteps or the swishing of her clothes.

A terrible bellow shook the air and we all whirled around to see a massive blue gorilla towering over us. It roared, pounding its fists into its chest.

“The Hell?” La’gaan’s eyebrows shot up. “Who the fuck is this chum? Kaldur, who is this chum?”

Kaldur, who could understand and speak dozens of languages, squinted. “It says it is the champion of the Citadel. It has never been bested in battle and—”

Before he could say another word, Orphan was jumping, wakizashi flashing, and the champion of the Citadel was lying on the street, cut completely in two—_vertically._

“Well.” Tula cleared her throat. “That was quick.”

“You could not have let him finish his sentence?” Artur asked Orphan, who had sheathed her wakizashi and was looking back at us. She shrugged, and I got the feeling that she was more of a woman of action rather than words.

“She scares me,” Dolphin piped up from behind La’gaan.

“Not me.” Wyynde strode over to Orphan and grinned at her. “I like your style. Tell me, are the rest of you Knights like that as well?”

Orphan nodded.

Down the road, a squadron of four Reach sentinels were advancing, their staffs out and pointing at us. One of them clicked and they opened fire.

“Get back!” Kaldur yelled, drawing up a shield—

But Orphan ran forward, wakizashi out, right into the line of fire.

_“What_ are you _doing?”_ Dolphin shrieked. “You will be _killed!”_

Orphan lashed out with her wakizashi and _blocked the Reach’s blasts._

“Or not.” La’gaan’s mouth was hanging open. “Or she could not get killed.”

The Reach sentinels had stopped firing, clicking in confusion and alarm, by the time Orphan got to them. She twirled once, swinging her wakizashi, and then all four Reach sentinels were on the ground, their heads separated from their bodies.

“All right then.” Kaldur deactivated his shield. “That takes care of that.”

“Seriously, what are we even _doing_ here?” I shook my head. “She seems like she has got this in the proverbial bag.”

“We should probably follow her.” Wyynde started walking. “At least _look_ like we are doing something useful.”

Orphan was waiting for us when we reached her. She gave us the thumbs up.

“Um, yeah.” Dolphin returned the gesture. “Good job.”

Three more blue gorillas turned the corner, roaring loudly. Orphan whirled around, wakizashi flashing—

Suddenly bolts of red energy blasted through their faces. The Citadel soldiers dropped to the ground.

_“Please_ tell me that was you,” Tula squeaked at Orphan. Orphan shook her head, and I could once again feel that strange energy leaking from her. It felt…odd. Powerful. And very, very deadly.

Something crashed to the ground in front of us. We all jumped back—except for Orphan, who held her ground and took a defensive stance.

Neptune’s Beard, did _nothing_ scare this woman?

The thing stood up and I realized very suddenly that it was a man—a tall one, perhaps roughly the size and shape of Wyynde, clad in a black suit with red lines stretched over it and—

My blood went cold.

That was a _Superman logo_ on his chest.

He had Clark’s sun-kissed skin and black hair, grown long enough for a short ponytail. And he had Lois’ face and mouth, his eyes a brilliant sky blue.

Wait a minute—

_“Jon?”_ Artur squawked.

Jon cocked his head. “What?”

_“Jonathan Samuel Kent,_ what are you _doing_ out here?” Tula gasped. “What _happened_ to you? Where did you get that _suit?_ What did you do to your _hair?_ Does your _mother_ know you are out here?”

“Ah. I see.” Jon smirked in a very un-Jon-like way. “You’ve confused me for _your_ Jonathan. I can assure you, I am _not_ Jonathan _Samuel_ Kent. _I_ am Jonathan _Lane_ Kent. And I am here to kill you all.”

“Wait, _what?”_ Alarm bells were ringing all over my head. “Shit. You are from another world, are you not?”

“What a clever little fishy.” Jon Lane cackled darkly. “Yes, I am. And in that world, I have _killed_ all of the superheroes. _I_ am the apex predator!”

“Then why come here at all?” Wyynde challenged.

“Oh.” Jon Lane examined his nails. “I got bored. And I decided to come and conquer _this _world, just to give myself something to do. Who knows? Perhaps you will prove to be a better challenge than your counterparts.”

“You know not what you do,” Kaldur warned, his voice low. “You are outmatched here.”

“What?” Jon Lane gestured lazily at us. “By _you?”_

“No.” Dolphin grinned. “By _her.”_

Jon Lane did not have time to react before Orphan slammed the hilt of her wakizashi into the back of his neck. He went down hard and would have slammed his face into the pavement had Orphan not caught him.

I highly doubted it would have hurt him, but the gesture was still nice.

“Thank you,” La’gaan told her. “But _now_ what do we do with him?”

Orphan knelt beside Jon Lane and pulled something from her belt. _An inhibitor collar. _Snapping it around his neck, she scooped him up bridal-style and strode back the way we had come.

I glanced at the others. They shrugged.

“Well, you saw the woman.” Wyynde started after Orphan. “Let us go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know we didn't see the Atlanteans kicking too much ass, that'll come later, I promise. Also LANEY MY BABY.


	29. Out Of Thin Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred and Luke do some target practice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOP WHOOP ALFRED PENNYWORTH IN ACTION BITCHES.

**Alfred Pennyworth**

“Probes are hovering above the city,” Batman reported as we stepped out of the telephone booth. “Penny-One, get to the Batwing. Batwing, keep the distracted. I will tour the city to see if any sentinels or soldiers have reached the ground. Tell me if you see anything.”

“Right.” Batwing’s massive metal wings extended from their hiding places on his back. Flapping once, he took off. Batman ran out of the alley. As for myself, I descended down the ladder to the connecting tunnel.

“Damned aliens,” I muttered to myself as I strode to the train. “Couldn’t leave bloody well enough alone—no, you just _had_ to invade. I ought to flay you alive.”

Settling down in the conductor’s seat, I typed in the coordinates for the Batwing’s launching pad and held tight as the train took off.

Thanks to the tunnels stretching all over the city, we had many supply stations all over the Gotham City underground. Just outside of the city limits, far beneath the surface of a small hill, was the launching pad for the Batwing, our fighter jet. That was my goal.

It took two minutes for me to get there, and by the time I arrived and strapped myself in, Batwing was yelling over the coms, “I’ve engaged them! And they are _not_ happy!”

“Any on the streets?” Batman asked.

“I don’t know about the streets, but nine gorillas are climbing our building.”

“Of course it had to be _our_ building,” Batman grumbled. “All right, I’m on my way. What’s your status, Penny-One?”

“Taking off now.” The entrance shot open, a crevice in the side of a cliff north of the city, and I pressed the throttle forward, taking off. The Batwing shot out of the crevice and into the air.

Almost immediately, I was surrounded by small triangular red and yellow probes. They began firing quickly at me and it took all of my skill to avoid them all.

One thing was for certain, these aliens were quite adept with robotics.

“Batwing, might I suggest lining them up for me?” I asked, using my wings to knock two of them out of the air.

“You got it, boss.” Batwing flew across my line of sight, a horde of probes trailing him—

And I blew them all to pieces with my guns.

“Some of them are headed for the city,” Batman reported. “Keep them from getting to the civilians.”

“Roger that, Bats.” Batwing dove and I followed him, chasing after the probes. “How’re the gorillas?” Batwing asked.

“Falling…falling…I think they’re dead.” I heard Batman click his tongue. “They’d _better_ be dead—they took a tumble from sixty-five floors up.”

“Excellent.” I fired again, taking down six more probes. “Batwing, you have some strays sniffing your tail.”

“I see them.” Batwing whirled around and held up his hand. A laser blasted into a probe, completely destroying it. One by one he shot them, and one by one they exploded.

“There appear to be two left,” I said, eyeing the remaining probes. “One each?”

Batwing gave me the thumbs up. “I like the cut of your jib, Penny.”

“I believe I have told you what I think of you calling me that.”

“I know.” I assumed Batwing was giving me a cheeky grin. “I just choose to ignore it.”

Batwing flew forward and punched his probe at the same time I fired at mine. Both exploded into bits.

“Anything else?” Batman asked.

“Nothing else showing up on the radar. I think we’re in the clear,” Batwing reported.

The coms crackled and Nightwing’s voice rang out. “Hey, Nightwing to Knights, you there?”

“Yes,” Batman answered. “What seems to be the problem?”

“You know that Red Lantern cat Robin picked up a few weeks ago? The one with the broken leg?”

“I am familiar.” I raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“We may need it. Omen’s gone blind, and the only way she can see is through someone else’s eyes.”

“Say no more. I’ll stop by the base and pick it up,” I confirmed.

“How do you think Robin’s going to react to that?” Batwing asked.

“He can deal,” Nightwing answered. “Omen needs this cat more than he does.”

“Right.” I swung the Batwing around to bring it in for a landing. “I’ll meet you lot at the Zeta Tube. I’ll bring the cat.”

“Roger that. Nightwing out.”

I quickly brought the Batwing in for a landing and quickly headed back to the Batcave, where I found said Red Lantern cat lounging at the Batcomputer, licking its newly healed paw.

“Come here, little one.” I scooped up the blazing red cat. “We have a job for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the Red Lantern cat. No, I'm not sorry.


	30. Every Day And Every Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis Grace gets some action—and a crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOP WHOOP 30 CHAPTERS! I never thought I'd get this far!

**Artemis Grace**

The _second_ we stepped onto the London streets, right outside of Parliament, no less, Red Hood was shooting a gorilla in the face.

It fell to the ground with a crash, startling the other two gorillas.

“Citadel soldiers!” Starfire yelled. She blasted the remaining two, watching as they burst into green flames.

“Looks like we’ve got a Hell of a haul here, ladies and gents.” Bluebird tapped her mask. “I’ve got seventeen Reach squadrons and five Citadel squadrons. They’re circling around Parliament. Interesting.”

“They must be after the members.” Arsenal snorted. “I would be too, after the whole Brexit deal.”

“Wasting time.” Ravager drew her sword. “Time to ravage some aliens.”

Red Hood glanced at her. “Was that a pun?”

Ravager cracked a grin. “Might’ve been.”

“Focus.” Warrior and White Lantern were floating in midair. “Battle plan, anyone?” White Lantern asked.

“Split up,” Red Hood ordered, his voice hard. “Warrior, Lantern, Bizarro, you three will take the Thames side. Ravager and Essence, you take the north. Shim’Tar and Bluebird, you take the south. The rest of us will cover the street.”

“And just _who_ put _you_ in charge?” Warrior demanded.

“You got a better idea?” Red Hood snapped.

Warrior’s mouth opened then closed.

“That’s what I thought.” Red Hood put his gun away and unsheathed his odachi. It had a greenish tint to it. It made me uneasy for whatever reason. “Now go!”

““That’s what I thought,”” Warrior mimicked as he watched Red Hood run off toward a group of Reach sentinels. “What a prick.”

“You’re just jealous he had a better plan than you,” White Lantern snorted as he and Warrior flew off, Bizarro in tow.

“Am not!”

Slowly everyone dispersed, leaving Bluebird and I alone.

I offered her my arm. “Need a lift?”

Bluebird grabbed my hand, sending an electric shock through my body. I could barely stop myself from jumping in place.

“Sure thing,” Bluebird said cheerfully. “By the way, I _love_ your outfit. But it’s not very Egyptian, is it?”

I glanced at my armor as I took off, carrying Bluebird below me. “Perhaps not. It is functional, however.”

“Fair enough.” As we landed, Bluebird cocked her head in consideration. “You know, if you want, we could have Gotham Girl make you some more appropriate armor.”

I blinked. “Really? You would do that for me?”

Bluebird laughed, sending butterflies flying in my stomach. “Well yeah! You saw the outfit we gave Starfire. You think we wouldn’t do the same for you?”

I considered. “I suppose. How much would I have to pay you?”

My fellow warrior gave me a strange look. “Girl, you wouldn’t have to pay for a damn thing! We don’t charge heroes. Hell, we have enough to thank you for as it is.”

She let go of my hand and I felt a strange loss.

“To be fair, we have plenty to take you for as well,” I told her. “You butchered our enemies for us.”

Bluebird sent me a strange grin. “The pleasure was all ours, believe me.”

A herd of gorillas appeared, charging toward us.

Before Bluebird could do anything, I summoned my Mistress. “Allow me,” I said and lunged forward. The Citadel soldiers barely had time to bellow before I sliced them clean in half.

“Oh _come on!”_ Bluebird whined, jogging to catch up to me. “Let a girl have a _little_ fun, would you?”

I raised an eyebrow. “My apologies. I did not realize you too thirsted for battle.

Bluebird shrugged. “Not necessarily. I just have some shit to work through.”

“And you do this by killing people,” I summed up.

“Bad people, but yeah, basically.”

“A commendable practice.” I clasped her shoulder and butterflies fluttered through my stomach again. “I applaud you.”

“Thanks.”

Eight Reach sentinels leaped over the fallen Citadel soldiers and charged, clicking angrily.

I sighed. “Amateurs—”

“Hold it.” Now Bluebird was grabbing _my_ shoulder and what in the name of the Goddess was going on with me? I was not usually this jumpy. “You got your turn. Now it’s mine.”

Drawing two guns from her thigh holsters, Bluebird took aim and fired.

Two bullets, crackling with electricity, went straight into two of the sentinels’ heads, but instead of only killing them, it _fried_ them, turning their bodies to ash. Six shots later and eight columns of ash were sweeping toward the Thames.

I raised an eyebrow. “Would that not be considered pollution?”

“Eh, that water’s already nasty.” Bluebird sheathed her guns and waved a careless hand. “Besides, Wayne Enterprises is cleaning the place up next month. It’ll be fine.”

“How do you know that?” I asked.

Bluebird gave me a wry glance. “Because I watch the news.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Three more Citadel soldiers came barreling toward us.

I summoned the Bow of Ra, knocking three arrows. “You showed me yours, now I will show you mine.”

“Ooh, the Bow of Ra!” Bluebird squealed, jumping in place and clapping her hands together like an excited child. “All right! Hit them in the eyes!”

“That is the plan.” I took aim and fired.

_Thunk._

_ Thunk._

_ Thunk._

The soldiers crumbled into ash, drifting once again toward the Thames.

“Would that not be considered pollution?” Bluebird teased.

I shrugged. “Eh, the water is already nasty. Besides, Wayne Enterprises is cleaning the place up next month. It will be fine.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I watch the news.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

We burst out laughing.

“Oh hey!” Bluebird pointed. “Here come some more Reach sentinels!”

Sure enough, four more were darting across the street toward us.

“My turn.” Bluebird pulled two hilts from her belt and clicked a button. Two blades made entirely out of electricity appeared.

“Very nice,” I told her.

“Thanks. Now allow me.”

Bluebird charged forward, swinging her blades. Two sentinels went down, sliced completely in half. The other two blocked her attacks with their staffs and tried to launch a counter attack.

They failed miserably.

Bluebird jumped up, flipping over their outstretched staffs and sliced their heads off.

“Excellent moves,” I said, impressed by her tactics. She wasn’t Amazonian by any means, but she was admittedly skilled.

Then again, I got the feeling she had not been using her full potential.

“Thanks.” Bluebird deactivated her blades, sticking them in her belt as she walked back toward me. “I’m not that good, though. Hood and Annie and Rob are the real blade experts.”

“Well I think you are wonderful,” I told her firmly.

“Thanks.” Bluebird grinned at me. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Is that a compliment?”

“Why yes it was.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank _you.”_

Something was very wrong. My stomach felt funny and my head was light and feathery. My palms were sweating through my wrappings and gauntlets. I had not felt this way since Akila—

_Akila._

My face must have shown some of my distress because she frowned. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, nothing. I am just…” I paused. “Remembering someone I loved very much.”

To my surprise, Bluebird nodded. “I hear that. Do you need me to leave you alone, or…?”

“No, you are all right, sorry.” I sighed.

A hand grabbed mine.

“Hey.”

I turned to look at Bluebird, who smiled at me softly. My body felt warm for a moment.

“I think about him every day,” she told me quietly. “Every day and every night.”

I swallowed.

So she too had lost someone she loved dearly.

“Me too,” I whispered. “I think about her every day. Every day and every night.”

She let me go just as Red Hood rounded the corner, splattered with blood.

“We’re good here,” he announced. “You ladies want anything before we head out?”

I shrugged. “I am well.”

“Same.” Bluebird sucked in her cheeks. “Why’d you ask?”

Red Hood sighed. “Warrior wants to fly to the top of Big Ben. I told him to go for it. White Lantern went after him.” He cocked his head. “Do either of you think those two are gay for each other?”

“Hood, we’ve talked about this,” Bluebird tutted. _“Of course_ they’re gay for each other.”

I blinked. “You know?”

“Duh.” I sensed Red Hood was rolling his eyes under his mask. “The question is do _they _know?”

“Sadly, no,” Ravager said, waltzing around the side of the building, hand in hand with Essence, followed by Arsenal. “They’re both in denial.”

“It is quite pathetic,” Essence added.

“But how do _you_ know that?” I asked.

“Orphan told us,” Bluebird said matter-of-factly.

“And Orphan just knows these things,” Arsenal deadpanned.

“Hey, don’t knock her,” Red Hood warned. “She’s very intuitive.”

“Indeed.” Bizarro touched down beside us. “I sense she is quite intelligent.”

Bluebird grinned at him. “Thanks, big guy.”

Bizarro beamed.

“Is Orphan a meta-human?” Starfire asked, coming to stand beside Arsenal.

“Nope. She’s just a regular human. We all are.” Red Hood paused. “Except for Signal. He’s a meta.”

“Back!” Warrior announced, swooping down from above, followed by an exasperated-looking White Lantern. “We ready to go?”

“We were ready the second after we finished fighting, but _someone_ decided to go sightseeing,” Ravager muttered.

“Enough chit-chat. Let’s get the Hell out of dodge.” Red Hood started off. The rest of us followed him.

I walked behind Bluebird and wondered what else there was to learn about the strange woman—and why she made me feel this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, more shipping. Don't blame me, the heart ships what it ships.


	31. Don't Worry, Be Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Co. have a short battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses.

**Victor Stone**

“What’s the plan?” Artemis asked as we spilled into Mount Justice. “The aliens are headed for the harbor—what are we going to do?”

“Form a line,” Jefferson said sharply. “Those of us who can fly, engage them from above. Do _not_ under _any_ circumstances let them pass. Kill them or pass them off to someone who will.”

He glanced at Signal and Gotham Girl. “Unless the two Knights present have any objections?”

“Hey, now!” Signal held up his hands. “You’re the boss here. We’re just here to help, no need to be hostile!”

“Signal is right,” Forager clicked. “Black Lightning was being quite inconsiderate to Signal and Gotham Girl.”

Jefferson sighed. “Sorry. I know I—sorry. Does that sound okay to you?”

Gotham Girl shrugged. “Sounds like the exact same thing I would’ve suggested.”

“Good.” Jefferson clenched his hands. “Let’s go!”

I took off flying next to Darla, who was squirming anxiously as we left the safety of the mountain and charged toward the town. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Yes. Yes! I’m fine!” Darla shot me a half-cheerful half-nervous grin. “I’m all good!”

I sighed. “You know I’m not going to report you for being afraid, right? I’m not in the League anymore—and anyway, I won’t hold it against you. I’m scared too.”

Darla glanced at me. “Really?”

“Really,” I promised. “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m really nervous about this fight,” she admitted. “I don’t want to kill anyone.”

“You don’t have to,” I assured her. “I’ll kill them for you. Just send them to me and I’ll handle them. Okay?”

“Okay.” Darla smiled—for real this time. “Thanks, _Megatron.”_

“No problem, _Junior Junioress,”_ I returned. She laughed.

I saw the first alien on the street near M’gann’s house. It was roaring and pounding at the Bioship-turned-RV.

“HEY! Get your hands off my ship you stupid gorilla!” M’gann yelled. She lobbed a few more insults in Martian as she used her telepathy to send the gorilla flying—right into the path of Jefferson’s lightning. He blasted it and fried it to ashes.

Oh. Right. We were killing today.

Darla sped off, putting her superspeed to good use and dragging two Reach sentinels away from another house. She tossed them to Jefferson, who fried them to ashes.

“You going to join in any time soon Megatron, or are you just going to float there?” Signal yelled up at me as he decapitated a Citadel soldier with a pair of gold-yellow axes.

“Fine,” I grumbled. Concentrating, I felt my arm transform from a hand to my energy gun. I took aim at a group of Citadel soldiers and fired, blasting their heads right off their bodies.

_Everyone online?_ M’gann asked through the mind link.

_Yeah_ we all responded.

_Okay, this is freaky_ Gotham Girl said frankly.

_If you’re uncomfortable, we can disconnect you_ Artemis offered.

_No, no, it’s fine._

A Reach sentinel leaped for me. I fired, blasting a hole right through its body.

_We’re running out of enemies_ Jefferson remarked. _There’s not much left._

_ I guess not that many made it past the JL upstairs_ Darla suggested.

_Fair point._

A pained groan drew my attention and turning my head, I watched in alarm as Gotham Girl beat the ever-living shit out of a Reach sentinel.

_Um. Little G?_ Artemis tried. _You okay there?_

_Yep._ Gotham Girl jabbed the Reach sentinel in the neck, watching with satisfaction as it went down with a hard thud. _It’s dead._

_Neat._ Connor sounded mildly alarmed. _Now what?_

_I guess now we head back to the Watchtower?_ Darla suggested.

_Sounds like a plan._ M’gann began flying toward Mount Justice. The rest of us followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shortness.


	32. I'm Cutting Up A Baby Bumblebee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bialya falls. It's mostly Tim's fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, Young Justice gets some action! Sort of. Mostly Tim, since he's killing everyone.

**Bart Allen**

I was incredibly worried as I stepped out onto the dirt path just outside of Y’dah.

“All right, focus.” Red Robin’s face was hard, his teeth clenched. “We’ve got to keep this outside of the city. There are innocent civilians out there and we don’t need them getting in the line of fire. How many of you here are comfortable with killing?”

Literally no one raised their hands.

“Thought so.” Red Robin shook himself. “All right, fine. Any enemies you find, knock them out and bring them to me so I can finish them off.”

Cassie waved her hand. “What if we run into any of Queen Bee’s minions? Or Queen Bee? What if she shows up?”

Red Robin grinned cruelly. “Leave her to me.”

I didn’t like the sound of that.

A roar split the air. Whirling around, I saw three Citadel soldiers and sixteen Reach sentinels charging toward us.

“Eight-point arc, now!” Red Robin ordered.

“Hey, hold on, who put _you_ in charge?” Connor Kent demanded.

_“Now!”_ Red Robin bellowed.

I sped into place in between Cassie and Freddy, my molecules buzzing with nerves.

“Yo, what’s your deal?” Cassie demanded, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “You good?”

“Yeah. Just—nervous, I guess.” I shifted, widening my stance.

“About what?” Freddy asked.

“Ed. And Jaime.”

“Ed and Jaime?” Cassie shook her head. “Okay, Ed I get—you’re dating and all—but why Jaime? I know you’re buddies and all, but you don’t worry about even _Wally_ like this.”

_“Wally_ I trust to take care of himself. _Jaime_ on the other hand…” I gulped. “Remember the Reach incident?”

“Ugh, how could I fucking _forget?”_

A Reach sentinel charged me, clicking angrily, javelin flashing in the light.

Sighing, I sped over, dodged its slash, and punched it in the face, knocking it out.

“Impulse, create a whirlwind around the place!” Red Robin yelled. He was jabbing a staff into a Citadel soldier’s windpipe and as I watched as a bolt of electricity jolted through the soldier’s body, immediately frying it to ashes.

I blinked.

_Hardcore._

_“Impulse!”_ Red Robin roared. “Do it _now!”_

“You got it, boss!”

I started to run around the place, creating a whirlwind and ultimately blinding the soldiers and sentinels.

“Keep going!” I heard Red Robin yell. “I’ll let you know when to stop!”

“Sir yes sir!” I returned.

I ran around for another two minutes before I heard him give the all-clear. Sliding to a clean halt, I saw piles of ash drifting away on the wind—Red Robin had fried them all.

_Good grief._

“Yo, Impulse!” Cassie waved me down. “Get over here, we’re not done yet!”

I zipped over to where she and Freddy were floating. “What’s crash, _amigos?”_

“So, going back to Jaime,” Cassie said without fanfare. “What’s your deal?”

“I happen to care about him very much,” I told her.

“As much as you care about Ed?” Freddy asked.

“Of course!” I said indignantly.

God, how could I _not_ care about Jaime? He was one of the greatest men I’d ever met, and I couldn’t imagine life without him any more than I could imagine life without Grandpa or Wally or Ed.

I _needed_ him.

I _loved_ him.

I loved him like I loved Ed.

And I knew Ed felt the same way.

But Jaime…Jaime would never love us like that. He was into girls—Traci was proof of that. So our twosome would never become the threesome that we wanted.

Life sucked sometimes.

“Look out!” Traci screamed.

Whirling around, I saw a familiar woman advancing on us. Tall, black-haired, dark-skinned, black-eyed, a familiar golden crown atop her head.

Oh _great._

“Queen Bee!” Cassie yelled.

Queen Bee smirked. “In the flesh, children. Now then, I do not think I appreciate you invading my territory and killing my allies. Speaking of which, killing? Really? I thought you were _above_ that sort of thing.”

“No. One. Move,” Cassie hissed.

Queen Bee closed her eyes and hummed—

_Crack._

Queen Bee suddenly toppled to the ground, her neck snapping at an awkward angle. Red Robin stood over her, bo staff in hand. It was dripping with blood.

“Well.” Freddy seemed at a loss for words. “That was fast.”

“You said it,” Traci agreed, looking mildly alarmed.

“What?” Red Robin shrugged, a languid movement of his shoulders. “She can’t control me.”

I glanced at the others.

Was that his subtle way of telling us that he was gay, or was I imagining things?

Screams began to echo from the town—from beyond, too. It was as if the entire country was screaming.

“I suggest we get to the capitol.” Red Robin folded his bo staff and tucked it behind his back. “Otherwise we may have several riots on our hands.”

“Hold up, hold up.” Connor held up his hands. “Time right the Hell out. You want _us,_ a bunch of teenagers, to take control of an entire country.”

“Yes,” Red Robin said as if this was obvious.

“Are you _insane?”_ Cassie squawked. “We’re _kids! Some_ of us—” and here she pointed at Freddy “—haven’t even hit _puberty_ yet! And you expect us to just, what, _magically_ control an entire _country?”_

“Look, the people are confused,” Red Robin snapped. “A good chunk of them have been trapped under Queen Bee’s control for years. They need someone to sort things out for them before people start to riot and kill each other. Now, the Justice League is occupied and the surrounding countries won’t be able to scramble aide in time before people lose control. So_ pull up your pants_ and let’s _get this done.”_

Surprisingly, it was Cissie who spoke up. “He’s right. If not us, then who?”

“I can’t believe this,” Cassie muttered. “I can_not_ believe this.”

Connor sighed. “Oh what_ever._ Trace, transport us to the castle.” He jabbed a finger at Red Robin. “But _you’re_ doing all the work, Mr. Red-I-think-I-can-magically-control-an-entire-country-Robin.”

Red Robin sniffed. “I expected no less.”

“Okay then. _ekaM a latrop,”_ Traci muttered.

A swirling purple portal popped into existence.

“This is _insane,”_ Freddy hissed at me. “What are we even _doing?”_

“As much as I hate to say it, Red Robin’s right,” I whispered, watching as Red Robin led the way through the portal, a grumpy Connor following. “We have to help these people.”

“This is bullshit,” Freddy muttered, but he flew through the portal regardless.

Biting my lip, I followed, trying to reassure myself that this would be a _good_ idea and not the worst mistake I’d ever make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're lucky I made Queen Bee's death that short. I DESPISE her.


	33. A Very Short Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime tries to fight. Tries being the operative word here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like the title says.

**Jaime Reyes**

The literal _second_ we stepped out of the Zeta Tube, I felt _Khaji Da_ vibrating on my spine.

_Our allies are here_ it murmured. _You are fighting on the wrong side, Jaime Reyes._

“Shut up,” I muttered.

This earned me a side-eye from Garfield. “You okay?” he asked.

“Yep!” I tried for a grin. “Just fine!”

Garfield didn’t look convinced, but he nodded and looked away.

“Stay alert!” That was Robin, his voice sharp. “The Reach and Citadel will try to approach in an arc. Those of you who can fly, attack from the air. The rest of you charge them from the sides.”

“I don’t remember putting _you_ in charge,” Mia Kent said angrily.

“Well _too damn bad,_ now _go!”_ Robin snarled.

Mia Kent huffed but took off anyway.

_Join the Reach, Jaime Reyes Khaji Da_ insisted. _You must join them!_

No, no, no. I wouldn’t join the Reach, I _wouldn’t,_ not _again—_

A sharp pain hit the back of my head and I lost any sense of reality as well as my consciousness.

“Jaime, Jaime!”

_Wake up, Jaime Reyes_ _Khaji Da_ said.

I peeled my eyes open to see Garfield leaning over me. “Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

“Yeah.” I sat up, rubbing my head. “What happened?”

“Robin knocked you out,” Rachel said, her eyebrow raised. “With his katana hilt. It looked like it hurt.”

“It did.” I turned around, looking until I saw Robin, then glared at him. “What the _fuck,_ man?”

“You are a former Reach agent,” Robin said coldly. “You are a liability. It was better that we remove you from the fight entirely.”

“And you had to _knock me out_ to do it?” I demanded.

Robin looked at me. “Would you rather I killed you?”

_“Nope!”_ I scooted away from Robin, holding up my hands. “I’m good!”

“Well, that was exciting,” Traya sighed, running a hand through her hair. “In any case, the aliens are all dead now.”

Glancing behind me, I saw the bodies of several Reach sentinels and Citadel soldiers stacked neatly around the statue of the Flash in the center of Central City.

Like a shrine. It was like a _sacrificial offering._

It was wretched and it was disgusting and I wanted to throw up.

_I like Robin’s style Khaji Da_ remarked.

Shut up, you damn parasite.

“Come on.” Mia Dearden grabbed my hand and hauled me to my feet. “Let’s make ourselves scarce before the paparazzi shows and starts trying to get a bird’s eye view of our asses.”

“Hmph.” Robin spat on the ground in contempt. “Damned bloodhounds.”

“Hey, watch it,” Mia Kent snapped, jabbing a finger in Robin’s direction. “My mom and dad are journalists and Iris is a news anchor.”

“I know. I respect _them._ The others, not so much.” Robin strode back toward the Zeta Tube. “Let us get out of this place.”

“He needs to get laid,” Mia Dearden muttered to me as we followed him.

“Mia, he’s a _kid,”_ I gasped, horrified.

“Yeah, a kid with a stick shoved so far up his ass he’s choking on it,” she returned.

I bit my lip. She had a fair point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It had to be done, and you just KNOW Damian would pull this kind of shit.


	34. Rule-Breaking, Gossip, And A Hot Naked Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly what the title says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second to last battle chapter, whoo!

**Grace Choi**

“Whoop whoop!” Spoiler cheered as we stepped out of the Zeta Tube and onto the streets of Houston. “It’s fighting time!”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re certainly cheerful about this. Tell me, do you enjoy killing that much?”

“Not in the slightest!” Spoiler shot me a gleeful grin—I think. Couldn’t really tell with the mask on. “It’s sometimes better to be in denial about it than to face the consequences of your actions.”

Asami nodded her head. “Smart.” She had recently been learning English, and she was improving every day.

“Incoming!” Virgil yelled, leaping out of the way as a massive Citadel soldier smashed its fist into the concrete where he was just standing.

“Ooh, ooh!” Spoiler darted forward, leaping through the air, and pulled a staff out of her utility belt. It expanded, then broke into three parts connected by chains. Lashing out, she wrapped it around the Citadel soldier’s neck and yanked. Hard.

The Citadel soldier’s neck made a horrible cracking sound and it fell to the ground, dead.

I gave her the thumbs up. “Nice!”

“Thanks!” Spoiler jumped down, twirling her chained staff idly in her hand. “How many of you are comfortable with killing?”

I shrugged. “I’ve got nothing against it.”

“I’m down,” Virgil hollered from where he was hovering on his electro-disk. Ed, Tye, and Asami nodded.

“Hold up, didn’t my dad say that anyone eighteen and under couldn’t—ah fuck it, let’s murder some bitches!” Chris declared.

“Sweet!” Spoiler charged at the advancing Reach sentinels. “Let’s kick some alien ass!”

Bolting forward, I aimed a solid punch right at a Reach sentinel’s rib cage. It shattered under my assault and the Reach sentinel flopped right over.

“Everyone take cover!” Virgil yelled.

I dove out of the way just as he unleashed his electricity, frying every Reach sentinel in sight.

“Dude, right on!” Spoiler whooped. “That was totally badass!”

Tye had grown into his giant astral form and was stomping down on the Citadel soldiers. Chris was flying through the air, smashing a bunch of probes that were firing at the city. Asami was jumping over some Reach sentinels’ heads, distracting them while Spoiler beat them to death.

“Hey, leave some for me!” I complained.

“You snooze you lose!” Spoiler retorted.

I decided I liked her very much.

_“Sumimasen!”_ Asami shrieked, pointing at the sky. _Excuse me._

Glancing up, I saw a giant ship positioned over one of the skyscrapers. It looked like a Reach ship—shit.

“Well, _that’s_ a pile of crap,” Spoiler remarked.

“We should check it out.” Chris touched down in front of me. “I’ll fly you up. Grace, Ed, take a hand. I’ll fly you up. Virgil, you take Tye and Sam.”

“Yo, what about me?” Spoiler demanded. “I can’t fly!”

Chris grinned at her. “You get a piggyback ride!”

“Yay!” Spoiler ran over and jumped onto Chris’ back. “Piggyback ride!”

I couldn’t hold back a smile. For a mass-murdering lunatic, Spoiler sure was fun.

I grabbed onto Chris’ left hand and Ed grabbed onto his right before Chris took off, dragging us both up to the waiting ship. Glancing down, I saw Virgil and Tye and Asami following us on Virgil’s electro-disk.

“Heads up!” Chris fired a laser blast at one of the ship’s windows, breaking it. We flew through it and landed in the ship’s central control room, which was surprisingly devoid of Reach sentinels.

“Huh.” Spoiler gave the room a once-over. “Surprised. You think they all went and hid or they’re all corpses on the ground?”

“Good question. I’ll check.” Chris squinted.

“Why is the place empty?” Virgil, Tye, and Asami flew in, jumping down to the floor. “I’d have thought they’d have extra defenses up here.”

“Honestly, same.” I eyed the place. “Anyone else smelling something fishy?”

Asami blinked. “No Atlanteans?”

“She means something weird,” Tye explained.

“Oh.” Asami nodded. _“Hai.” Yes._

“Well, what do you say we do some exploring?” Spoiler disabled her chained staff, tucking it back into her belt. “I can’t be the only one who wants to check the place out.”

“It’s like you read my mind, gorgeous.” Chris strode toward the doors to the room and kicked them open. “Let’s bounce.”

We all followed him down the hallway.

“So, what’s up with you guys?” Spoiler asked, dragging her gloved fingertips along the wall. “Any action going on?”

Tye smiled, entwining his fingers with Asami’s. “We’re actually celebrating our fifth year together.”

“Aw, congrats!” Spoiler gave them the thumbs up. “That’s awesome!”

Ed grinned. “I’ve been dating B—Impulse—”

“Dude, it’s fine.” Spoiler waved a hand. “I know who you all are.”

“Ah. Um, right. Anyway…” Ed continued, sounding more than a little freaked out, “Bart and I are hitting our fifth month mark.”

“Neat.” Spoiler glanced at Virgil. “What about you, Electric Company? Got any dates?”

“Ugh, _no.”_ Virgil sounded frustrated. “Never gotten past a first date.”

_“Damn,_ I _feel_ you,” Spoiler agreed. “They never meet my standards.”

“More like _I_ never meet _their_ standards,” Virgil muttered.

“Oof, that fucking sucks.” I could hear the sympathy in Spoiler’s voice. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll find somebody.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Virgil said, but he sounded doubtful.

“Trust me, man, I _know._ I had a sister who would have been _totally_ into you—Hell, she _was_totally into you, and she didn’t even _know_ you!”

“You said _was,”_ Virgil pointed out. “What happened, did she up her game?”

“No.” For the first time, Spoiler’s voice had a sad tint to it. “She died.”

“Oh.” Virgil looked horrified. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s all right,” Spoiler assured him, but she sounded bittersweet. “She’s in a better place now.”

If she was anything like Spoiler and her teammates, then I doubted it highly, but I decided to keep that one to myself.

“What about you up there?” Spoiler shot at Chris. “You single?”

“For now.” A pause, then, “Wyynde’s kind of hot.”

“And totally into Kaldur,” Tye pointed out. “I think he’s still in denial after they called it quits.”

“Fair point.” Chris shrugged. “Still hot, though.”

“Indeed.”

“Interesting, interesting.” Spoiler spun around so that she was walking backward facing me. “And you, Calypso?”

I bit my lip, silent for a minute. Spoiler, to her credit, was quiet as she waited for my answer.

Finally, I said, “I want to kiss Natasha.”

“No _shit,”_ Ed gasped.

“Well then why don’t you?” Spoiler asked, genuinely curious.

“She doesn’t like girls.”

“Yeah she does.”

My head shot up. “How do you know?”

Spoiler shrugged. “Orphan told me.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And Orphan just magically knows these things?”

“Yeah, she’s pretty intuitive.” Spoiler turned back around. “Trust me, she wouldn’t mind it if you kissed her, and you _specifically,_ mind you.”

“You think so?”

“Girl, I _know_ so.”

I tried not to think about it—tried not to let her give me hope. But the idea of Nat returning my feelings, of caring about me like I cared about her, was a wonderful one.

“Well _hello,_ what’s this?” Chris asked, stopping.

There was a door in front of us, big and platinum.

“Welp, nothing to it.” Spoiler glanced at me. “Kick it down, Calypso.”

“Okay, quit it with the Calypso. And why _me_ specifically?” I asked. “And what if it’s already unlocked?”

“Never. And for the _aesthetic,_ honey.”

“And what would _you_ know about aesthetic?” Virgil challenged.

“Everything. Where I come from, it’s aesthetic or death.”

“Lovely.” I braced myself. “All right, watch out.”

I ran forward and kicked the door, which crashed down onto the ground.

“Wahoo!” Spoiler cheered. “Aesthetic!”

I was seriously starting to question this girl’s sanity.

It was just an ordinary room—with a human-sized pod in it.

“Shit,” Tye cursed. _“Shit.”_

_“Nidoto nai,”_ Asami murmured, squeezing Tye’s hand. _Not again._

“Is there someone in there?” Spoiler yelled at Chris, suddenly businesslike.

Chris squinted. “Yes. _Yes._ Oh Rao—and it looks like Kori!”

My heart dropped into my stomach.

_The Reach had Kori._

“Well _don’t just stand there,_ break the damn thing!” Spoiler shrieked.

Chris lunged forward and ripped the hatch away, and a hiss of steam and a cool breeze brushed past us. A body slumped over onto Chris, who caught it and lowered it gently to the ground.

“Check his heart rate,” Spoiler ordered, rushing forward. The rest of us followed, gathering around the fallen body.

Chris wasn’t wrong, it _did_ look like Kori, only male and with several differences. His fiery hair was shorter and in dreadlocks. He was more muscled, but not by much. He was missing an arm. And he was naked.

Very, very naked.

And well endowed, but I tried not to notice that part.

“This isn’t Kori.” Ed frowned. “Who is it?”

“Ryand’r,” Spoiler answered grimly. “Starfire’s brother. Darkfire.”

“Shit, _seriously?”_ Virgil gasped.

“But he died!” I protested. “Kori _watched_ him die!”

“A clone,” Spoiler muttered. “It must have been. It’s the Reach’s specialty, after all. _This_ is the real Darkfire.”

“But why clone him? Why not Kori’s sister—um, Blackfire?” Chris asked.

“She is, er, was their ally—they wouldn’t risk putting her on ice.” Spoiler ripped her cape off and wrapped it around Ryand’r’s waist. “Come on, we’ve got to get him to the Watchtower.”

“We’ve got to get him to _Kori,”_ Ed corrected, frowning.

“Who will most likely be at the…?” Spoiler trailed off, staring at Ed.

“The…ahem, the Watchtower,” Ed muttered.

I smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Ryand'r lives. Sorry, not sorry. And the clone thing was just a good reason for the missing arm.


	35. Waiting Out The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sha'lain'a has a bad day. Listening to arguments doesn't help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: implied rape/non-con.

**Sha’lain’a**

It was a bad day today.

I knew because my thighs were burning, the claw marks _he_ had made scorching my skin. My body was on _fire_ and I could barely _breathe—_

Cal’s gentle, wonderful hand grasped mine, entwining our fingers. I shot him a shy smile, which he returned.

For the life of me, I could not understand why Cal was with me. I was broken, a shell of the person I used to be. I had been dishonored by a monster. By all rights, he should hate me.

But he did not.

He loved me more than anyone had ever in my life.

And I _adored_ him for it.

“Milady Sha’lain’a, are you quite all right?”

I glanced up at Queen Perdita, who was eyeing me curiously.

“Ah, yes, I am fine,” I assured her. “Just nervous.” About what, I did not say.

“I hear that.” Kathy leaned back in her seat. “This is a first. Did you hear? They’re _killing_ this time.” She sniffed. “I certainly hope poor Traya doesn’t have to do anything.”

“Don’t worry,” Lois said gently. “Clark told me that anyone eighteen and under was forbidden from killing, and that it was optional for the rest.”

“Thank God,” Iris sighed. “I couldn’t _imagine_ little Bart killing.”

“Well, I’m glad my girls aren’t part of any of that action.” Lynn clicked her tongue. “As a matter of fact, I won’t _let_ them be a part of any of that action. My girls aren’t going into the superhero lifestyle, and that’s that.”

She said that with an air of finality.

Joan frowned. “I don’t know, Lynn dear. You can’t always keep people from the life. I know—Jay could never resist the call, even now.”

“And I already know I can’t keep Jon from following in his father and siblings’ footsteps.” Lois smiled fondly. “He’s already talking about fighting bad guys with Chris and Connor.”

I bit my lip. “I remember when Kaldur first told us he was becoming King Orin’s protégée. He was so proud—and I was too. The fear is always there, of course, but it is impossible to stop them.”

“All you can do is hope that they make it home in one piece,” Cal added, leaning over and kissing my cheek. I shivered.

“They won’t,” Lynn insisted. “I _forbid_ it.”

“Have you bothered to ask what _they_ want?” Queen Perdita asked. “What if your girls _want_ to become superheroes?”

“They are too young to make such decisions,” Lynn said brusquely.

“I do not know,” Queen Perdita mused. “I was ten when I became queen of Vlatava. I was capable of making such decisions. Your girls should be too.”

“And what would _you_ know about making decisions that affect children?” Lynn asked sharply.

“More than _you,”_ Queen Perdita retorted sharply. “Because _I_ make decisions that affect _all_ the children in my country. Can _you_ say the same?”

“You aren’t a mother,” Lynn snapped. “You know _nothing_ about looking after a family.”

“Yes, because _mine_ is _dead!”_ Queen Perdita said angrily. “But _I_ have people that I care about as well, and my decisions affect them as well! My responsibilities are just as important than yours!”

“Well, then it’s _their_ fault for leaving such a little girl in charge of such an enormous responsibility,” Lynn snarled.

“How _dare—!”_ Queen Perdita shrieked, rising from her seat.

A sharp ringing pierced the air—the universal all-clear signal.

“They are back!” I gasped, jumping up and dragging Cal with me. “Come, we must go see our son!”

And get away from this Neptune-awful conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this is my take on Kaldur's conception. I am very sorry.


	36. Coming Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tara learns a little bit more about the Knights—more than she'd like to, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, Tara's POV!

**Tara Markov**

We were the first team back.

Ahead of me, Connor was walking with his head bowed. His bow was trailing limply on the ground, the golden wood scraping against the ground.

God.

I reached over and tugged gently on his sleeve. “Ahem, Connor?”

He glanced back at me, those beautiful green eyes clouded with doubt. “Yes?”

I cleared my throat. “Are…are you all right?”

“Mmm? Oh, yeah. I’m just…” Connor swallowed. “I’m just…just a little shocked by what we saw today.”

I blinked. “The aliens?” Neither of us had been around when the Reach first invaded. I knew Connor had been living at a monastery at the time, and I…I had been painfully ignorant to the Reach’s scheming. My parents had thought the Reach benevolent.

How very wrong they were.

Connor laughed weakly and I flushed. He had a sweet laugh, like ringing bells. It always made my heart race—even now, half-forced as it was. “No, not that. I meant the killing.”

Ah.

“I agree.” I bit my lip. “It brought back…unpleasant memories.”

Like Mama and Papa. And Gregor. And all of the slaughtered heroes.

_God._

“Hey, hey.”

Suddenly I was surrounded by a great warmth—_Connor._ I hugged him back, burying my head in his chest and inhaling the soothing scent of his cologne.

I expected him to say something along the lines of “It will be okay” or “You are safe now” or even “There is nothing to worry about.”

Instead he said, “It’s been a long day. And a taxing one at that. I think we need to rest and relax after this.”

“We cannot,” I sighed, going limp against his strong body. “We still have so much paperwork to do, and the royal advisors want to meet with us—”

Connor laughed, for real this time, and I felt the movement against my face, and _God_ I needed it. Needed this peace, this contact, this _gentleness._

My brother did his best, I knew this. But he too was grieving, and he, try as he might, could not give me the comfort I craved. And Violet was there for him, something I could appreciate. As the new king of Markovia, poor Brion had little support as it was. But I…I still needed help.

And Connor…Connor gave it to me.

He had been the one to hold me when Brion and I found Gregor dead and let me cry onto his chest. He had been the one to hug me as we lowered Gregor’s body into the ground. He had been the one to hold my hand and escort me down the aisle when Brion had been crowned king. He had been the one to carry me to bed and tuck me in when I fell asleep at my desk.

He comforted me when I needed it most.

And I _adored_ him for it.

“The royal advisors can wait,” he told me. “Those old busybodies haven’t saved the world today, and _you_ have. You deserve a break. And you’ve _done_ all the paperwork. I know because I watched it all get sent off this morning.”

“But—” I protested.

“So,” he continued, “here’s what’s going to happen. We are going to go back to Markovia and you and your brother are going to tell those big bad royal advisors to fuck off. Then you and I are going to change into pajamas and watch stupid kid shows until we fall asleep. Okay?”

I bit my lip.

On the one hand, we still had work to do.

On the other hand, a break _did_ sound nice…

“Oh, all right,” I mock-grumbled. “If I must.”

I knew Connor was smiling, even though I could not see his face. “That’s more like it.”

He did not let go and I did not ask him to. His hand came up to stroke my hair and I let him, smiling at the soothing feeling.

Until—

“Hey, Connor!”

Connor stiffened. “Um, sorry.” He raised his voice. “Not now, Dad.”

But I was pulling away. “It is all right,” I told him, smiling. “Go and see your father. I do not mind.”

Connor bit his lip and nodded, walking away.

“Hello, Tara!”

Violet was waving me over. I made my way toward her.

“You and Connor were hugging for a very long time!” she said enthusiastically. “Do you like each other?”

I shook my head. “No. We are just friends.”

Next to her, Brion snorted. “Hardly. He looks like he would like to be more than friends with you, Tara.”

Blinking, I glanced back at Connor, who was being patted on the back by his father. He was blushing.

“Perhaps,” I mused. “I would not mind.”

“Just so long as he does not try anything.” Brion’s voice was dark. “You let me know if he touches you in any way that makes you feel uncomfortable.”

“If he makes me uncomfortable, I will deal with him myself,” I assured him. “Trust me.”

Violet clapped. “Good girl.”

I heard the Zeta Tubes buzz, then heard John Stewart squawk, “Is that _Dex-Starr?”_

Turning around, I saw that Penny-One, Batman, and Batwing were standing by the Zeta Tubes. Penny-One was holding a pretty silver cat _wearing a Red Lantern uniform?_

_ What_ in _God’s name…_

“Yes,” Penny-One said promptly. “Yes it is.”

_“Hello, Green Lantern,”_ the cat purred, licking its lips. _“I thought I’d see you again.”_

_“Why_ in _Hell_ do you _have_ that little shit?” Hal yelped.

_“They helped me,”_ Dex-Starr meowed. _“And now they say they have a job for me.”_

“Do they now.” I realized that Lynn and the rest of our Ambassadors—a name Wally had come up with for the long-suffering non-superhero members of our family—had spilled into the room.

Lynn was frowning. “And what would that be?”

Dex-Starr began to leisurely clean his paw. _“That’s for me to know and for you to find out.”_

“I don’t know if Dex-Starr is a good idea for _any_ job you give him,” Hal warned. “He’s not exactly a good soul.”

“Nonsense, he’s a good kitty. Isn’t that right, buddy?” Batwing scratched Dex-Starr behind the ears. Dex-Starr purred and leaned into the touch.

“He’s a _monster!”_ Hal protested. “He _kills_ people!”

There was silence for a minute.

“Ahem, Starburst?” Gotham Girl was raising her hand. “So do we.”

“Ah.” Hal scratched the back of his head. “Right. Forgot about that. Sorry.”

Signal shrugged. “It’s cool. But if you’re willing to associate with us, a bunch of mass-murdering lunatics, then a mass-murdering kitty shouldn’t be too much of a stretch.”

I nodded at Signal. “Well said.”

He smiled. “Thanks.”

“You don’t know this guy,” John Stewart grumbled.

“We do,” Batman growled. “We know his history—better than you, I would think, based on your judgment of him.”

John Stewart snorted. “I doubt that highly.”

“Fine.” Batman gazed calmly at him. “How did he get his ring?”

Hal shrugged, waving a hand. “He probably bit somebody.”

Dex-Starr snorted. _“Hardly.”_

“Yeah right. What, did you bite a man’s head off?” Lynn asked snidely.

“Please stop antagonizing the Red Lantern. As much as I would enjoy watching a Red Lantern in action again, I do not think you want to die a painful death by scalding hot red vomit,” Penny-One advised.

“He makes a fair point.” Shiera waved a hand at the three. “Stop insulting the cat, please.”

“Fine.” Hal scuffed his boot on the floor. “Still a tuna-breathed bastard if you asked me.”

“Don’t make me come over there, I will flay you myself,” Gotham Girl threatened, pointing a finger in Hal’s direction.

Hal subsided, but did not look happy about it.

I raised an eyebrow. These Knights certainly did not mess around.

The Zeta Tube buzzed again and out came Robin, followed by the rest of the Teen Titans. Jaime was rubbing the back of his head.

“Jaime!” Ed teleported to Jaime’s side. “Are you all right?”

“Fine.” Jaime shot a glare at Robin. “That little _mierda_ knocked me out cold.”

Wait, _what?_

“What!” Violet gasped, gaping at Robin. “Why would you do such a thing?”

Robin shrugged. “It was necessary,” he uttered in a cold voice.

_“Necessary?”_ Joan spluttered. She rushed over to Jaime and clasped his head in her hands. “Why, pray tell, was it _necessary?”_

“Ah.” Batwing nodded as if he understood everything. He was now holding Dex-Starr and rubbing his stomach. Dex-Starr was purring loudly. “Because he was a Reach sleeper agent?”

Robin nodded. “Precisely.”

“Will _someone_ please explain what’s going on?” Jay demanded. He had come to stand by Joan, Ed, and Jaime, and had his hands on Jaime’s shoulders. “What’s going on here? Why did Robin hurt Jaime?”

“Simple.” Signal gestured to Jaime. “The damn parasite on his back.”

_“Khaji Da_ is a tool of the Reach at the end of the day,” Gotham Girl took over. “My guess is that _Khaji Da_ was encouraging our good friend Jaime to join the Reach. Since everyone else apparently forgot that fact, Robin took matters into his own hands and took Jaime out of the fight.”

“By knocking him out?” Ed yelled.

Robin shrugged. “It was that or gouge the damn thing out of his spine.”

“You can’t gouge out a beetle,” Jaime said patiently.

Robin fingered the hilt of his katana. “Care to make a bet on that?”

“Let’s not,” Joan suggested.

I shuddered, edging closer to Brion and Violet.

Okay, these people were _terrifying._

Another flash from the Zeta Tube and Nightwing was striding through. “Oh good, you brought Dexter.”

“Ahem, his name is Dex-Starr,” Hal corrected.

“No, his real _original_ name is Dexter,” Robin corrected. “Where is Omen?”

Nightwing jerked his thumb at the Zeta Tubes. “Right behind me.”

Sure enough, Lilith came in next, grasping Wally’s hand firmly. Her eyes were leaking.

With blood.

_Oh no._

“Goodness, what _happened?”_ M’gann gasped, rushing forward and clasping Lilith’s cheeks in her hands, disregarding the blood dirtying her hands. “What is wrong, Lilith?”

“The Reach blinded her,” Nightwing reported grimly as the rest of the Titans spilled into the Watchtower. “There’s severe damage to her occipital lobe. It can’t be fixed by any medicine I know of.”

“Here, let me try.” Zatanna stepped forward and muttered, _“xiF s’htiliL thgis.”_

Nothing happened. Lilith’s eyes continued to bleed.

“Damn,” Zatanna swore.

“Allow me.” Giovanni raised a hand. _“xiF s’htiliL thgis.”_

Still nothing. Lilith let out a dejected sob.

“Unbelievable.” Billy swore. “Damned aliens.”

“Great. Just great.” Nathaniel threw his hands in the air. “Now thanks to those freaks we lost a damn good soldier.”

Gotham Girl frowned at him. “Says who?”

“She can hardly fight if she is blind,” Augustus pointed out.

“That’s why we have a solution.” Signal turned to Lilith. “You’re not allergic to cats, are you?”

Lilith frowned. “No, I love cats. Why do you ask?”

“Because we’ve found a way to help you,” Penny-One said calmly. “You can see through another person’s eyes if you see into their minds, correct?”

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with cats?” Lilith asked.

Batwing walked over and held out Dex-Starr. “Meet Dexter, also known as Red Lantern, your new seeing-eye cat.”

John Stewart blinked. “Wait, what.”

Lynn’s mouth was hanging open. “Wait, what?

“Wait, _what!”_ Hal shrieked.

_“Hello, Lilith,”_ Dex-Starr purred. He flew out of Batwing’s arms and settled on Lilith’s shoulders. _“How are you?”_

“I’ve been better.” Lilith reached up and pressed a finger to Dex-Starr’s brow. “How about you?”

_“I’m well, thank you.”_ Dex-Starr rubbed against Lilith’s finger.

“You’re willing to help me?”

_“Yes.”_

“Why? I don’t know much about Red Lanterns, but I was taught that they didn’t really care about anything other than themselves.”

_“A common misconception, really.”_ Dex-Starr’s tail whipped from side to side, the Red Lantern ring gleaming in the light. _“You’ve confused Red Lanterns for Orange Lanterns. Orange Lanterns are powered by their own avarice, their own selfish needs. We are powered by rage. I am fueled by rage, yes, but I still care for other people.”_

Hal snorted.

Dex-Starr hissed, and a red hand backhanded Hal across the face.

“You little—!” Hal flew forward—

—only to be intercepted by Robin.

“You had that coming,” he said coldly, “and I will say this once. Do. Not. Harm the cat.”

“News flash, little man.” Hal leaned forward, getting right in Robin’s face. “I don’t take orders from pipsqueaks like you.”

Robin sighed—and backhanded Hal across the face.

Hard.

_“Mother of God,”_ Brion breathed.

My thoughts exactly.

Hal staggered back, clutching his cheek.

Lois whistled. “Damn, kid. You’ve got guts.”

Robin gave her a stiff nod. “Thank you.”

“That is _it!”_ Hal yelled, holding up his ring hand. A massive green fist construct blasted toward Robin—

And splintered into pieces against Robin’s katana.

Hal reeled back, clutching his head. _“Shit!”_

“Hal? Hal!” Barry and Iris rushed forward to grab their husband’s arms.

John Stewart’s jaw was hanging open. _“What_ was _that?”_

Robin sheathed his katana. He sniffed at Hal, unimpressed. “I let you off easy, Starburst. Do not make the mistake of attacking me again. The consequences will not be pleasant.”

Hal glared at Robin but said nothing.

Everyone was quiet for a minute.

_“So…not that I don’t appreciate watching a member of the Green Lantern Corps get what’s coming to them, but would you like my help now?”_ Dex-Starr asked Lilith.

“Ah, yes, please. Thank you.” Lilith closed her eyes. Dex-Starr’s eyes flared red.

Lilith shuddered. “Good gods, you’re so _angry._ But your eyesight is incredible.”

_“One of the benefits of being a cat.”_ Dex-Starr nuzzled Lilith’s cheek. _“Thank you for letting me be your eyes.”_

Lilith smiled. “My pleasure.”

“I can’t believe this.” Hal dragged his hands through his hair. “I can’t believe this. I can_not_believe this. A _Red Lantern_ a _seeing-eye cat._ _Now_ I _know_ I’ve gone crazy.”

Batman shook his head. “Are all Green Lanterns this melodramatic? And here I thought Green Arrow was the annoying one.”

John Stewart glared at Batman. “You are a strangely dislikable person.”

Batman didn’t miss a beat. “I’ve been told it’s my best feature.”

Diana blew out a breath. “Are all of you like this?”

“Sadly, yes,” Penny-One said, and I guessed he was smiling under his mask. “We’re very stubborn.”

“Yo, has anyone turned on the news lately?” Red Hood asked as he strode through the Zeta Tube, the rest of the freelancers—er, Outlaws.

“No!” Oliver exploded. “We’ve been too busy _saving the damn world_ to watch the fucking _news! What_ could _possibly_ be _so damn important_ that we’d _watch the news_ after a _battle?”_

Red Hood shrugged. “I don’t know. Stupid question. It’s not like Red Robin killed Queen Bee and liberated Bialya or anything. Who cares about that, right?”

“Hold up, _Red Robin killed Queen Bee?”_ Oliver squawked.

“Good for him,” Batman remarked. “Batwoman won’t be pleased. She wanted to kill her herself.”

“She calls her Queen Bitch—or _called,_ I guess,” Batwing added. “To be honest, we all did. It was a good nickname.”

“Turn on the news!” Hal yelped, gesturing frantically to J’onn, who obeyed, pulling up a newsfeed, revealing Red Robin speaking on a screen.

“—are monitoring your country from the air,” he said coldly in a voice that made my spine shiver. It was a _ruler’s_ voice. “If we sense any violence whatsoever, we will come and _personally_dispose of the troublemakers. I heavily encourage any follower of Queen Bee’s to lay down their weapons immediately or be mandatorily arrested.”

“Huh,” Victor said.

Jefferson whistled. “He seems to have everything under control.”

“Indeed. Even so, I feel I should go and assist them, just to be on the safe side.” Diana strode for the Zeta Tubes and disappeared a mere second before Kaldur and his teammates walked out. Orphan was behind them, carrying…a body.

“Oh, that is _hardcore,”_ Anissa murmured.

Penny-One sighed. “Orphan, what did I tell you about bringing bodies back to the Watchtower?”

“This is not a body.” Garth gestured to Orphan, who gently laid the body down onto the ground, revealing—

Wait.

Was that _Jon?_

“Is that _Jon?”_ Clark asked.

“Is that _Jon?”_ Lois gasped.

“Is that _Jon?”_ Natasha squawked.

“Is that _Jon?”_ Mia squeaked.

“Is that _me?”_ Jon yelped.

“Is that _Jon?”_ Bizarro inquired.

“Not exactly, no.” Tula held out her hand to the unconscious-looking Jon-lookalike. “Meet Jonathan _Lane_ Kent, a meta-human from another world who killed all of the metas there. He got bored and wanted to have some fun—his words, not ours—so he came over here. Orphan knocked him out with her sword.”

“Okay seriously, _what_ are those things _made of?”_ Hal shot at Robin.

Robin shrugged. “You do not need to know.”

Hal muttered something under his breath—probably something degrading. Robin ignored him.

“Is he…ours?”

Wyynde looked up. “Pardon?”

Lois was on her knees by the body—er, the other Jon. She was stroking his hair. The regular Jon was peering over her shoulder, curious. “Is he ours?” Lois asked again, her face tight.

“Good question.” Batwing glanced at Orphan. “Yo, Annie, is he related to Superman and Super Sleuth over there?”

Orphan nodded.

Batwing turned back to us. “Yep.”

“And we’re just supposed to automatically trust a mass-murdering lunatic,” Lynn said dryly.

“You automatically trust the daughter of the devil,” Rachel pointed out. “I do not see why a mass-murdering lunatic would be any worse.”

“Yes, but _you_ have proven to be trustworthy,” John Smith pointed out in his metallic voice. “These people have not.”

“Um, they have, actually,” Lois countered. “They saved our asses—_twice,_ mind you.” She smiled at Orphan. “I believe you.”

Orphan gave her the thumbs up.

“Hold it, did you just call Lois _Super Sleuth?”_ Barry pointed to Orphan. “And why’d you call her _Annie?”_

“It’s her nickname,” Signal explained. “You know, Orphan as in Little Orphan Annie?”

“Oh, _that.”_ Hal nodded. “That makes sense.”

“And we have code names for all of you.” Gotham Girl nodded at Lois. “She’s Super Sleuth.”

“What are ours?” Iris asked curiously.

Before she could answer, the Zeta Tubes flared and out stepped Spoiler and the rest of the Outsiders. Chris was carrying a very orange mostly naked man with flaming dreadlocks for hair.

Kori shrieked. _“Ryand’r!”_ She launched forward and snatched the body from Chris’ hands.

“Wait, isn’t that your dead brother?” Red Hood asked.

The Zeta Tubes flashed once more and Dinah came waltzing in, followed by the remaining Birds of Prey. They were all holding cups of frozen yogurt.

“Hey.” Dinah raised an eyebrow. “What did we miss?”


	37. Yes, We Stopped For Frozen Yogurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helena witnesses some weird stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short. Longer ones are coming, I SWEAR.

**Helena Bertinelli**

“You _stopped for frozen yogurt?”_ Green Arrow squawked.

“Yes,” Sea Dragon said calmly. “We finished in roughly five minutes. Hardly a fight.”

“Smart idea,” Aquaman remarked. “Why couldn’t _we_ stop for snacks?”

“Because _we were fighting aliens!”_ Green Arrow hollered.

“Mommy, Mommy, can _I_ have some frozen yogurt?” Sin asked, running over to cling to Black Canary’s leg.

“Sure, honey.” Black Canary handed Sin her cup. “It’s blue raspberry and lemon, our favorite!”

“Yay!” Sin cheered.

Green Arrow smacked himself on the forehead. “I can’t believe this.”

Suddenly I understood why Batman hated dealing with Green Arrow, in both this form and his benign alter-ego. He was a total bitch.

I, thankfully, did not have to deal with Green Arrow that much, since I didn’t work at Wayne Enterprises. I was just a simple third grade teacher and was therefore separate from the world of corporate bullshit.

“So, what’s going on—?” Kara choked on air. “Holy _shit,_ is that _Ryand’r?”_

“Who’s Ryand’r?” Lightning asked curiously.

“My little brother.” Starfire glanced up at Spoiler and the rest of the Outsiders. “How did you _find_ him? _Where_ did you find him?”

“He was in a pod on a Reach ship,” Super Knight explained.

“But—but I saw him die!” Starfire shook her head. “How is this possible?”

“They cloned him,” Arsenal said darkly.

Gold Arrow blinked at him. “Beg pardon?”

Arsenal gestured with his mechanical arm. “They took his arm—a DNA source. Then they cloned him. My guess is your bitch of a sister—sorry—ordered it.”

“X’Hal.” Starfire bent over Darkfire’s body. _“X’Hal.”_

“He should be up and at it in an hour or so, depending on how long he’s been in there,” Arsenal said, reaching over to rest a head on Starfire’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Kori. He’ll be okay.”

I supposed Arsenal would know. He’d survived it too. He and Darkfire would get along just fine.

Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe they would fight. Maybe they would fuck. I hoped not, if only for Red Hood’s sake. I knew how much Arsenal meant to him.

Even now, I could see Hood’s fists clenching, and I didn’t have to have Orphan’s senses to know that he was _aching_ to touch Arsenal—something, _anything,_ even just a brush of his fingertips.

My heart ached for him. It must have hurt him, to have his soul mate so close and so far at the same time.

Lucky me, I didn’t know. I didn’t die. I didn’t go to Heaven. I didn’t get to see and hear and touch and taste and smell my soul mate. I didn’t get them ripped away from me. I didn’t get brought back to life.

Lucky me I didn’t have to _see._

“Who’s _that?”_ Superwoman frowned at the _other_ body on the floor. “Is that _Jon?”_

Actually, that was a good question. I glanced at Orphan, who gestured to Superkid and Super Sleuth, who were kneeling beside the Superkid-lookalike.

Oh. Another _other_ super kid. That made sense.

“Sort of.” Dolphin fidgeted. “This is Jonathan _Lane_ Kent, son of Superman and…Super Sleuth.” She gestured to Superman and Super Sleuth respectively. “He is from another dimension where he killed all of the meta-humans. He came here to kill us. Orphan stopped him.”

“Oh joy,” Batwoman groaned beside me. _“Another_ crazy super kid. Wasn’t one enough?”

“Cheers.” I bumped her frozen yogurt cup with mine.

“And what do _you_ know about crazy super kids?” Starlight challenged, hands on her hips.

“Simple.” Oracle tugged on her gloves. “We killed one.”

“You did _WHAT?”_ Supergirl shrieked.

Red Hood raised his hands. “In our defense, he was trying to kill us, so…”

_“That’s no excuse!”_ Starlight grabbed her hammer and started swinging it with the wild ferocity of a Maenad. “You _can’t_ just go around _killing_ people!”

“I _did_ mention he was trying to kill us, correct?” Red Hood asked, sounding bored.

“Then you could have _neutralized him!”_ Starlight howled, shaking with rage. “God, what is _wrong_ with you people?”

Suddenly, Amazon strode forward. She grabbed Starlight’s face, reeled her in, and kissed her.

I blinked. Then my family and I burst into applause.

Everyone else stared.

“Well _damn,”_ Spoiler said. “I did _not_ see _that_ one coming!”

Orphan raised a hand.

“Okay _fine,_ you _called_ it already,” Gotham Girl grumbled. “No need to rub it in.”

I smiled.

In a world as dark and dreary as this one, it was nice to see a little love.


	38. A New Addition To The Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lois gains a new (unwilling, mass-murdering) son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY LANEY!

**Lois Lane**

I was watching Nat and Grace kiss when I noticed the other Jon stirring.

“He’s waking up!” I gasped.

Instantly, I had the attention of every hero, Ambassador, and Knight in the room. Clark and the rest of my family crowded closer. The Knights went rigid. I saw Red Hood, Orphan, and Robin’s hands gripping the hilts of their swords.

The other Jon’s eyes blinked open. He had Clark’s unnaturally blue eyes but my high brows. Not like _our_ Jon, whose face was all Clark—except for his lips. Those were mine.

“Hi, sweetie,” I said gently. “You okay?”

_“You!”_ the other Jon roared. He launched to his feet, a red aura concentrating around him. _“You miserable bitch!”_

“Young man!” I snapped. I couldn’t help the motherly instincts that rose to the surface, even in the face of my mass-murdering son from another dimension. “You will _not_ use that tone with me!”

“What—?” the other Jon spluttered. “I’m not your—you can’t just—how dare—!”

“This just further reinforces my stance that mothers are the single most threatening force on this planet,” Penny-One murmured in the background.

“Did I ever say I doubted you?” Batman answered.

“What are _you_ doing here?” the other Jon snarled at me. “Shouldn’t you be off kissing your husband’s ass in the newspapers?”

“All right, first of all, you watch your language,” I told him sternly. “Second of all, I don’t _have_a husband’s ass to kiss. Are you referring to Clark?” I jerked my thumb in Clark’s direction.

“Yes! Wait.” The other Jon frowned at me. “You mean you aren’t married?”

“Nope,” I said, popping the p.

“Our mom’s a lesbian in this dimension,” Jon said from behind me.

The other Jon’s head jerked up sharply. “Oh, so _this_ must be _your_ Jonathan. Certainly hope you’re treating _him_ better than you treated _me.”_

“Listen, er…Jon, we…uh, what can we call you?” Nat asked. She and Grace had stopped kissing when the other Jon woke up and the two were holding each other’s hands. Aw.

“Call me Supernova,” the other Jon said smugly. “And for the record, I—”

“I’m not calling you Supernova,” Kara said flatly. “Give us a nickname we can call you or something.”

“Look, I’m going to kill you all soon, it hardly matters—” the other Jon started.

“Wait, you said his name was Jonathan _Lane_ Kent?” Mia asked Orphan. Orphan nodded.

“How about Laney?” Bizarro suggested.

“What? No!” Laney squawked.

“Sounds good to me!” Clark agreed, grinning.

“Yay, Laney!” Jon cheered.

_“Stop calling me Laney!”_ Laney roared. “I will _kill you all!”_

“Good luck with that,” Kara muttered.

“I’ve done it before, and I will do it again!” Laney declared. _“All_ of you will die by my hand!”

Red Hood snorted. “Sure thing, Super Douche. Whatever you say.”

“Looks like _you’re_ first.” Laney rounded on Red Hood. “And I—”

Laney frowned. “Wait. Who the fuck are you?”

Clark blinked. “Wait. You don’t know who these guys are?”

“Literally no idea.” Laney assumed a fighting stance. “But it hardly matters. You’re up first, _Red Hood,_ and I’ll—!”

“Oh, so _that’s_ why he’s called Red Hood,” Guy said with the air of someone finally getting a joke.

Everyone groaned.

Laney rolled his eyes and lunged at Red Hood.

“Clark!” I yelled.

Clark reached out—

—and suddenly Laney was falling backward and crashing to the ground.

“Clark, not so rough, he’s a kid!” Kara gasped.

Clark was still standing where he was. His face was pale. “I didn’t do anything.”

Nat blinked. “Wait. If _you_ didn’t do anything, then…who did?”

I glanced over to see Orphan standing in front of Red Hood. Her fists were clenched.

Laney jumped up. “Did you just _punch me?”_ he gasped at Orphan.

Orphan didn’t answer, just assumed a fighting stance.

“Bet you can’t do it twice, you _stupid, inbred CU—!”_

And Orphan’s fist caught him right in the jaw.

The room, save the Knights, let out a collective gasp.

Laney crashed to the ground and _skidded back_ a few inches, holding his jaw. Orphan stood above him, arms crossed.

“Did…did she just…did she just _punch him?”_ Barry squeaked.

“Yes, God, don’t you have eyes?” Red Hood deadpanned.

“But…he’s invincible,” Hal babbled. “Supers are _invincible._ And she’s a regular _human. How_could she have…?”

Batwoman shrugged. “Orphan’s special.”

“Really.” Clark strode forward so that he was standing next to Orphan. “Punch me in the stomach.”

“Uh, I’m not sure that’s a good idea—!” Kara started.

Orphan’s fist slammed into Clark’s gut.

Clark _wheezed,_ staggering backward and bending over, clutching his gut.

_“Dude,”_ Chris said dumbly. _“That_ is _hot.”_

_“Not_ the issue right now, Chris!” Kara snapped at him.

I ran to Clark and grabbed—er, placed my hands on—his shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Clark coughed. “Whoa boy. Nothing like a fist in the stomach to…to really get the blood flowing…oh Rao, I need to sit down.” He plopped down to the ground.

Orphan, meanwhile, was shaking her hand out like she’d gotten it wet.

“Are you all right?” Robin asked.

Orphan gave him the thumbs up.

Oliver pointed a shaking finger at Orphan. “Okay, she has _got_ to be a meta. There’s _no way_ a _human_ can hit a _Super_ that hard and _not_ paralyze themselves.”

“What can I say? Orphan’s special. And she’s not a meta.” Red Hood gestured at the Knights collectively. “None of us are—except Signal.”

Signal waved. “What up?”

_“ENOUGH OF THIS!”_ Laney leaped to his feet. “I don’t care _who_ or _what_ you are,” he snarled at Orphan. _“No one_ touches me like that and _lives. You_ are going to—!”

Before he could even _finish_ that sentence, Orphan was on him.

She slammed her leg into the back of his knees, then whirled around to kick him in the stomach, _then_ twisted _back_ around to slam her palm into his back. Laney went down hard, crashing to the ground.

_“Stop it!”_ I yelled. “You’re _hurting_ him!”

Orphan paused, and though I couldn’t see her face, I got the feeling she was confused.

Batwing stepped forward. “You _do_ realize his entire purpose here is to kill all of us, correct?”

“And don’t think…” Laney wheezed, “…this little bitch…is going to…stop me…”

Orphan kicked him in the side.

_“Stop hurting my brother!”_ Jon shrieked.

“Not…your brother…” Laney groaned.

“Listen, Super Jr., he wants to _kill_ you,” Robin said tersely. “Family does not _matter_ to him.”

“You should…listen to him,” Laney grunted.

_“No.”_ I grabbed Laney’s chin and tilted it up so he was looking at me. “Listen here, boy—”

Laney fired his laser eyes at me. I leaned to the side, dodging them.

Orphan’s foot lashed out, kicking Laney in the ribs this time.

_“You stop that right now, young lady,”_ I growled at her.

Orphan stopped, but I got the feeling that she was extremely confused.

“Look, Laney,” I said to the boy that was my son. “I understand that you’re angry. I don’t know what happened to you, don’t know _why_ you killed everyone, but that doesn’t matter to me.”

I heard the Knights making some noises in the background, but I ignored them. “You’re my son as much as Jon is. I don’t want to hurt you. I want to _help_ you. Let us _help_ you. Okay?”

The room was silent for a second. Then Laney started laughing.

“You _seriously_ think,” he chuckled, “that a _fucking Mom speech_ is going to work on _me?_ Well _sorry_ to disappoint you, _Mom,_ but a few sappy words aren’t going to be enough to stop _me._ I’ll kill you all without a thought and—!”

“Okay, I’ll cut you a deal,” Red Hood interrupted. “You will call a truce and play nice or we’ll let Orphan beat you to a bloody pulp. You dig?”

Orphan cracked her knuckles.

Laney glowered at Red Hood. The vigilante didn’t back down.

“Fine,” Laney muttered.

Orphan nodded and stepped back toward the Atlanteans, who looked more than a little terrified of their new teammate.

“So.” Clark was on his feet, biting his lip. “So, so, _so.”_ He eyed Laney. “What are we going to do with you?”

“I would recommend keeping him here in the Watchtower,” Batman advised. “Keep him under surveillance until you’re sure he won’t—”

“He can come live with us!” Jon cheered.

Clark grinned. “Sounds like a plan to me!”

“It’s a deal!” I agreed.

“Or you could do that,” Batman grumbled. “Why do I even bother?”

“Beats me,” Nightwing said.

“Hold it!” Laney snapped. “I am _not_ living with you pack of goodie two-shoes! I’ll get by fine on my—!”

Orphan cracked her knuckles again.

“—or I can stay with you,” Laney muttered. “That works.”

“Yay!” Jon punched the air. “You can share my bed! We can brush our teeth together and play video games and I can teach you how to make the perfect banana split!”

“I hate you,” Laney told him.

“We’re going to have so much fun!” Jon squealed, completely undeterred.

Laney slapped his forehead.

The Zeta Tube buzzed and Diana came marching back into the Watchtower, followed by Young Justice.

“Yo.” Connor—_my_ Connor, not Connor Hawke—waved. “We’re back. Bialya is officially under control. We’ve got a team of women running the place now. Any loyalists were thrown in jail. Totally crash.” He frowned. “What’d I miss?”

Jon pointed at Laney. “This is my new brother Laney!”

“DO _NOT_ CALL ME _LANEY!”_ Laney yelled.

I smiled. This was bound to be fun.


	39. Watching Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra's observations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE tell me someone recognizes the title reference. I'll give you a hint: it's the same universe as Daughter of White.

**Cassandra Cain**

I saw everything.

They did not know.

But I saw them.

I saw all of them.

They were very open.

They did not hide.

So I could see them.

I saw them all.

Omen was still squinting. Still trying to see.

Martian Manhunter was worrying about his niece.

Miss Martian was looking at Superboy. Longingly. She missed him.

Beast Boy was scared. His hands trembled.

Superman was worried—and impressed.

Super Sleuth watched Supernova. She was worried about him. Not scared. Interesting.

Super Knight was watching me. Admiration. Awe. Strange.

Superwoman was watching Supernova too. Watchful. Worried. Ready.

Superboy was leaning away from Miss Martian. He feared her. Could not blame him.

Supernova was tense. Poised. Coiled. Ready to spring. Ready to kill.

Starlight was holding Amazon’s hands. She did not want to let go.

Supergirl was looking at Gotham Girl. Attraction. Good.

Superkid was smiling at Supernova. Love. So soon. Odd.

Bizarro was looking at Omen. Worried. Concerned. Love. Interesting.

Green Lantern was looking at Mother Lantern. Then Black Lightning. Mother Lantern. Black Lightning. Mother Lantern. Black Lightning. Mother Lantern. Black Lightning. Worry. Love. For both. Interesting.

Mother Lantern was frowning at Black Lightning. Bitterness. Disgust.

Starburst was holding Flash and Flash Greenade’s hands. Love. How sweet.

Warrior was shifting from foot to foot. He had to go to the bathroom.

White Lantern was shaking slightly. He was tired. He needed sleep.

Mercury was watching us. Curious.

Grand Flash was holding Blue Beetle. Angry. Concerned.

Flash was looking at his wife and husband. Love.

Flash Greenade was biting her lip. Concerned.

Flamebird was looking at Nightwing. Admiration.

Impulse was looking in between El Dorado and Blue Beetle. Love. For both. Interesting.

Speed was watching Flamebird. Admiration. Awe. Love.

Velocity was watching Element Lad. Concern. Interesting.

Kid Flash was looking at Spoiler. Interest. Curiosity.

Hermes was fidgeting. Discomfort. Like Bluebird. Like Clayface.

(Do not think of Clayface).

Interesting.

Blue Beetle was glaring at Robin. Anger. Humiliation.

El Dorado was rubbing Blue Beetle’s back. Concern. Love.

Apache Chief was holding Senshi’s hand. Love.

Senshi was holding Apache Chief’s hand. Love.

Element Lad was wincing. Like Red Hood. Like Bluebird. Like Gotham Girl. Like Robin. He heard voices. Interesting.

Zatara was eyeing Captain Marvel. Disapproval.

Zatanna was smiling at Rocket. Love.

Girl 13 was looking at Huntress. Attraction. Good.

Green Arrow was glaring at us. Disapproval. Distrust.

Black Canary was eyeing Supernova. Concern. Alertness.

Arsenal was rubbing at his prosthetic. Irritation. Longing. Interesting.

Red Arrow was looking at Black Arrow. Love.

Guardian was tapping his legs. Boredom.

Tigress was watching Signal and Gotham Girl. Interest.

Speedy was watching Mary Marvel. Interest. Attraction.

Arrowette was eyeing Signal. Interest. Attraction. Good.

Black Arrow was looking at me. Interest.

Gold Arrow was looking at Terra. Concern. Worry. Love.

Sin was eating frozen yogurt. Hungry.

Hawkman was watching Hawkwoman. Love.

Hawkwoman was watching the Marvels. Concern.

Black Lightning was looking at his daughters. Love.

Thunder was watching Starlight and Amazon. Attraction. Regret.

Lightning was watching Thunder. Sadness.

Red Tornado was eyeing everyone. Twitching. Jealousy, maybe? Or regret?

Mother Hurricane was watching Mechanic. Concern.

Mechanic was looking at Robin. Concern. Curiosity.

Captain Atom was buzzing. Potential energy.

Bumblebee was biting her lip. Worry.

Herald was stiff. Wary. Prepared.

Red Wasp was bouncing on her feet. Bored.

Icon was eyeing us. Disapproval.

Rocket was smiling at Zatanna. Love.

Static was biting his lip. Puzzling. Musing. Thinking.

Rocket Boy was watching Zatanna and Rocket. Love.

Stargirl was looking at Captain Marvel. Curiosity. Attraction.

Captain Marvel was tense. Defiance.

Mary Marvel was frowning. Considering.

Captain Marvel Jr. was tapping his foot. Impatience.

Mighty Marvel was trembling. Fear.

Lighthouse Keeper was watching Aquaman. Concern.

Queen Atlanna was watching Aquaboy. Concern.

Aquaman was looking at Sea Dragon. Love.

Sea Dragon was eating her frozen yogurt. Hungry.

Aqualad was looking at me. Curious. Good.

Wind was looking at Aqualad. Attraction. Longing. Regret.

Tempest was watching Aquagirl. Worry.

Aquagirl was watching Aqualad. Worry.

Lagoon Boy was glaring at us. Defiance.

Dolphin was tucked behind Lagoon Boy. Fear.

Aquaboy was looking at me. Curious.

Agent 37 was watching me. Curious.

Atlantean was biting her lip. Worry.

Katana was watching us all. Attentive.

Starman was scratching his chin. Bored.

Geoforce had his hand on Halo’s shoulder. Protective.

Halo was staring at me. Horror.

Terra was edging toward Gold Arrow. Longing. Protective.

Forager was clicking softly. Curious.

Wonder Woman was watching us all. Attentive. Wired. Ever ready.

Wonder Lady was watching Super Sleuth. Admiration. Love.

Troia was watching Batwing. Curiosity. Good.

Amazon was holding Starlight’s hands. Love.

Wonder Girl was eyeing Red Robin. Distrustful. Curious.

Shim’Tar was watching Bluebird. Curiosity. Fear. Attraction. Good.

Ravager was eyeing Supernova. Distrustful. Wired.

Essence was tucked away in the shadows. Watchful. Patient. Waiting.

Cyborg was biting his tongue. Confusion? Or restraint?

Raven was utterly still. Flinching. Like Element Lad. Like Red Hood. Like Bluebird. Like Gotham Girl. Like Robin. She heard voices.

Starfire was watching Darkfire. Concern.

Darkfire was fast asleep. Peaceful.

They did not see it.

But I did.

I knew.


	40. Something Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel takes a look at the newest addition to the JL and Co.™

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOO 40 CHAPTERS BITCHES!
> 
> ALSO WHY DID NO ONE REMIND ME TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY HANUKKAH I AM DISAPPOINTED IN ALL OF YOU BUT MOSTLY MYSELF.
> 
> Anyway, merry Christmas, happy holidays, and happy Hanukkah!

**Rachel Roth**

There was something wrong with these people.

The others could not tell. Some felt something was off, but not the way I did.

These people were touched by Death.

Not my father. Never my father. The very _touch_ of Death’s hand lingered on them like a tattoo.

Penny-One’s touch was the strongest. More kills, perhaps. It was as if Death had claimed him as his own, claimed him as a consort. Or tried to—Penny-One was not immortal.

Batman was a mess. I could feel the coldness coming from him, the stillness. But there was pain beneath it all, a writhing monster waiting to devour his soul.

Batwoman was a fire. A vicious, stinging, painful fire, clawing at its cage, screaming to be unleashed into the world to destroy all in its path.

Oracle seemed to devour the room with her eyes. When her gaze passed me, I felt like she was searching my soul for something. Whatever it was, I doubted she would find it.

Nightwing was a ball of restless energy. He ached to move, to spring, to fly. I envisioned him as a bird, soaring through the sky, utterly free.

Red Hood was completely terrifying. Now _he_ reeked of the pits of Hell, a freezing core inside of his large body. His katana had a similar aura, a sharp desire to punish, to feed, to _obliterate._

Something was not right with Bluebird. She kept gazing off into the distance, as though she was seeing something no one else could. Like she could see into the astral planes between dimensions, between worlds. What was she looking at?

Huntress was still, her gaze flickering over the room with disinterest. She was bored, I could tell. But something was bothering her, something hovering in the corners of her thoughts.

Batwing looked annoyed. He even had his hands on his hips. He was eager to get out of here, eager to get away from us. Why?

If Red Hood was terrifying, Orphan was _petrifying._ She was too still, far too still. She too was frozen inside, a demon from the very depths of Hell. What was wrong with her?

Red Robin fizzed. It felt like his every molecule was buzzing with a strange energy, a _longing._For what, I did not know—more energy, perhaps? Strange.

Spoiler practically _oozed_ cheerfulness. I knew, without looking, that she had a smile on her face. Why? What was she so happy about?

Signal was strange. Light seemed to bend toward him. Literally. In addition to his own aura, light gathered around him in a sort of armor. Was this the meta-humanness of him that the others had mentioned?

Gotham Girl did not seem to be entirely focused on the conversation. She was purposefully tuning us out. Why? Was she hearing something we could not?

Robin was just like Red Hood and Orphan—utterly cold. Yet he was the least terrifying out of the three. Not because of his age or his height or anything silly like that. Maybe because whoever had hurt him had not had as much time as they had with the other two. I did not know.

These people were very strange.

And very scary.

_They are just like you_ Father rasped.

Shut up.


	41. Thnks Fr Th Mmries?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Knights skip town, leaving the rest of the League with more questions than they have answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My goal is now to make it to 100k words on this thing by the new year. I've got two days and less than 20k to go, so wish me luck!

**Dinah Lance**

“We should leave.”

I glanced over at Batman. “What?”

“We should leave,” he repeated. “We need to get back to Gotham.”

“Why?” Hal asked. “You think the place has burned down or something?”

Batwoman grimaced. “You might be surprised.” She turned toward the Zeta Tubes. “Let’s go.”

The Knights all flocked to her.

“Wait!” I called. “Wait, wait!”

Penny-One glanced back at me. “Yes?”

“People have seen you with us,” I told him. “They’ll want to know who you are. I know you like your anonymity, but what should we tell them?”

“Simple.” Batman didn’t bother turning around. “Tell them we’re from Gotham.”

He stepped through the Zeta Tube, the rest of the Knights quick to follow. Then they were gone, leaving us alone.

“The media isn’t going to be happy with that,” Lois sighed.

“Well, they will just have to deal with it.” Diana gestured to the Zeta Tubes. “Dinah, Shiera, would you be willing to come with me to the Hall of Justice? Reporters will likely be gathered there with questions.”

“Sure,” I said.

“Of course,” Shiera agreed.

“When you’re done, come back up, would you?” Clark asked. “I feel like we need to discuss our missions.”

“And the Knights,” Barry added.

“Indeed.” Diana started for the Zeta Tube, Shiera and I hot on her heels. “See you shortly.”

The literal _second_ we stepped out of the Hall of Justice, we were mobbed by reporters.

“Wonder Woman—”

“—alien invasion—”

“Black Canary, can you tell us—?”

“—masked strangers—”

“—killing!”

“—bodies all over—”

“Has the Reach come back—?”

“—the blue gorillas, Hawkwoman?”

“Puerto Rico—”

“—outside of Parliament!”

“—guns and swords—”

“Silence, silence!” Diana ordered. “One at a time!”

“What happened?” one man asked, his hand trembling around his handheld recorder.

“The Reach tried to invade Earth again, joined with another alien force called the Citadel,” Diana said calmly. “They have been dealt with.”

“Why did you kill them?” someone in the back asked.

“It was necessary,” Shiera said shortly. “Next?”

“Who were those people with you?” a lady inquired. “Are they new superheroes?”

“They’re a group of vigilantes from Gotham,” I explained. “They’re called the Gotham City Knights. We called them in to help us.”

This led to another explosion of questions.

“Hush!” Shiera cried, holding up her hand.

“Are these people going to join the Justice League? Or any of the other teams?” a young man pressed.

Oops. Probably should have brought that up before they left the Watchtower.

“That has yet to be determined,” Diana told him.

“Why did they kill?” a woman asked, shoving a microphone under my nose. “Don’t these people subscribe to the same rules as you?”

“No, they do not.” Diana took a deep breath. “The Knights do not have a no-kill policy. They are not afraid to take lives.”

“Are they responsible for the deaths in Gotham City?”

“Not all of them,” I said quickly. “The Knights only kill those who deserve it. Rapists, murderers, drug dealers…only people who deserve it in their eyes.”

“Are you worried about what associating with them might mean for your brand?”

“That is not your concern,” Diana told the reporter.

“Can we trust these vigilantes?”

“Do _you_ trust these vigilantes?”

Huh.

That was the million-dollar question, wasn’t it?

_Could_ we trust these vigilantes?

“They haven’t given us a reason to distrust them,” I said carefully. “We consider them our allies. If something changes, we’ll let you know.”

And hopefully, this _wouldn’t_ turn out to be the greatest mistake of our lives.


	42. Oh Joy, More Dead People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duke and them deal with the aftermath of working with the JL and Co.™—and get even worse news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I MADE IT TO 100K BITCHES!
> 
> ALSO HAPPY LATE BOXING DAY, HAPPY LATE KWANZAA, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

**Duke Thomas**

“Oh my God,” Gotham Girl was chanting as we rode back through the tunnel to the Batcave. “Oh my God oh my God oh my God.”

“I feel that.” Bluebird scraped her hair away from her eyes. “I can’t believe I flirted with an _Amazon.”_

_ “I_ can’t believe we just worked with the motherfucking _Justice League.”_ Gotham Girl shook her head. “Oh. My. _God.”_

“Well _I_ can’t believe we got out of that place alive,” I remarked. “I mean, did you _see_ the looks Zatara and them were shooting us?”

“Kind of hard to miss,” Bluebird grumbled. “They were burning into my forehead.”

“To be fair, you were looking right at them,” I pointed out.

“Well it’s not _my_ fault Zatara was sparkling!” Bluebird protested. “He wasn’t sparkling, right?”

“Nope, no sparkling,” I confirmed.

“I can’t believe Green Arrow didn’t call me out for staring at him,” Gotham Girl said. “Are you _sure_ his hair wasn’t on fire?”

“Reasonably.” I bit my lip, glancing down at my clenched hands.

I’d seen Arrowette. I had been _near_ Arrowette. She had _talked_ to me, and I had talked _back. God._

Not everyone in my family had asked to know who their soul mates were. Well, only Huntress, really. Everyone else either knew already or had found out from Red Hood, Orphan, and Robin.

Penny-One already knew his. He’d known his soul mate was Martian Manhunter since before Bruce was born. Our friendly neighborhood god of death had told him after Alfred had saved his life. Red Hood had only confirmed it.

Batman had flat-out asked when Jason had explained about the soul mate thing. Batwoman had nearly busted her spleen laughing—to be honest, so had everyone else. I mean, Batman with Superman? _Really?_

I almost expected Batwoman to start drooling when she found out her soulmate was Wonder Woman. I honestly couldn’t blame her—Wonder Woman was a wonder to behold—oops. No pun intended.

Oracle had been thrown for a bit of a loop when she learned that Tigress was her soul mate, and the rest of us had agreed. The daughter of the man who’d killed Batguard? It seemed pretty far-fetched. But Oracle didn’t blame Tigress for that—it’d be about the same as blaming Robin for Talia raping Batman—so maybe it could work out.

When Nightwing had found out that Flamebird was his soul mate, he was _so excited._ Mostly because the names matched but also because he had _such_ a kink for redheads. I was ninety percent certain he would have dated Oracle if she wasn’t totally homo.

Red Hood’s soul mate was Arsenal, and I could honestly say I wasn’t too surprised. From what I knew about Green Arrow’s former sidekick, I figured they would get along. But I saw Orphan frowning at him earlier, and I guessed that there was something going on that might cause problems.

Bluebird’s soul mate I did not see coming. An _Amazon?_ And not only that, but the _Shim’Tar?_Now _that_ would be interesting to watch—my personal opinion.

Huntress had refused to learn hers, and not going to lie, I was ticked off at her for being a total buzzkill. But it was understandable. Let her be surprised.

Now _Batwing’s_ was a surprise. Never would have seen him with an Amazon, especially not Wonder Woman’s…sister? Honestly, how the Hell are they related anyway? I’d have to look it up when we got back to the cave. But maybe Troia would be good for him, maybe help him with his OCD.

When I’d found out that Orphan was fated to be with Aqualad, I had no shame in admitting to squealing because they would make _such_ a cute couple! And absolutely beautiful children, if Orphan ever felt the courage to have a family in the first place. But hey, they had time. Hopefully.

I could have predicted Red Robin and Superboy, sure. What I _couldn’t_ have predicted was that they would go on a date _before_ meeting as superheroes. And Tim had kissed him! Not for the first time, I felt proud to be his little brother.

Spoiler and Superwoman was _bound_ to be fun. Two bombshell blondes with fiery personalities and more fire between them than a sun filled with active volcanoes? Hell yes, but I still wouldn’t want to be anywhere near them when they got mad.

Mine…was surprising. I honestly didn’t feel worthy of being with Arrowette. She’d had a rough past and needed someone strong and supportive, someone who didn’t have their _own_ fucked-up past to deal with. I definitely didn’t qualify. Everyone else told me I was being stupid. Guess we’d find out.

Supergirl and Gotham Girl was another easy one. I knew they would get along well. I just hoped that someday, if the JL and Co.™ didn’t hate us for our secret identities, Supergirl took Gotham Girl flying. I knew Gotham Girl loved and missed flying more than anything and that she’d love it.

Robin’s soul mate I foresaw causing some problems. Not necessarily legally-wise—if we were going logically, Robin was basically a clone of Batman, and anyway, Kryptonians didn’t consider themselves related to anyone except for their spouses. Don’t ask me how Batman got his hands on _that_piece of information. No, the problem would be that Robin was so terrified of relationships and so emotionally constipated that he made the rest of us look healthy by comparison. He’d definitely need some help in that department. Poor guy.

But that wasn’t all—Red Hood, Orphan, and Robin had also revealed the soul mates of our dead partners.

Batguard and Azrael.

Foxtrot and Foxglove.

Cyborg and Penny-Two.

Catwoman and Hawkfire.

Guardian and Clayface.

Mockingbird and Gotham Guy.

Thunder and Foxface.

Static and Batgirl.

Wonder Girl and Catgirl.

Rocket Boy and the future Batgirl.

Batboy and the unborn Helena Kane-Kyle.

I felt bad for those of them who wouldn’t know their soul mates until death, assuming they went to Heaven, that is. But I was glad that some of them were reunited in Heaven and spending eternity together in peace.

As for Batboy, I hadn’t the slightest idea who that was. Was he dead? Was he alive? Had we met him? Were we going to meet him? Who even knew at this point?

I sighed, running my hand across the bit of my face left exposed by my helmet.

Soul mates were weird.

“What do you mean _reasonably?”_ Gotham Girl demanded.

“Green Arrow’s hair wasn’t on fire,” Bluebird assured her. “Pinkie promise.”

The train screeched to a halt and I stepped out into the cool exterior of the Batcave, followed by my adoptive sister and cousin.

“All right, I can’t take it anymore.” Yanking off her mask, Helena stormed over to where Red Hood, Orphan, and Robin were removing their own masks. “Did I or did I not talk to my soul mate?”

“You didn’t,” Jason informed her. “She looked at you though. Definitely thought you were cute.”

Cassandra nodded.

“Cut the bullshit, who is it?” Helena asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“Girl 13,” Damian deadpanned, running a hand through his green-tinged hair. His white streak was stuck to his forehead with sweat.

Huh. Girl 13. I honestly didn’t know what to make of that.

“Damn it, she’s _underage!”_ Helena groaned.

“Not for long. Her birthday’s coming up. February, I think. Then she’ll be eighteen.” Batwoman pulled her mask off and Kate was running a hand through her short red hair. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to update the computer and then take a nice, long, hot shower.”

“Wait for the rest of us, if you would, Mistress Katherine,” Penny-One called after her before removing his helmet. “We need to go over the mission.”

“You got it, Alf.” Kate strode toward the Batcomputer, whistling to herself.

“That was crazy,” Cassandra piped up.

“You said it.” Tim had peeled his mask off and was scratching his nose. “I can’t believe Superboy didn’t recognize me.”

“Dude, your _Red Robin_ persona and your _Timmy_ persona are totally different,” I told him, removing my own helmet. _“Red Robin_ is commanding, a force to be reckoned with. _Timmy_ is sleep-deprived and a geek with emotional instabilities and massive insecurities.”

“Shut up,” Tim grumbled.

My head jerked up as I heard Kate scream, _“Fucking damn you, Than, put some fucking clothes on!”_

Oh great. Thanatos was here.

We all let out a collective sigh as we walked to the Batcomputer, where Kate was glaring at Thanatos, who was now thankfully clad in his usual tuxedo. His bald head gleamed in the cave’s fluorescent lighting, his curved black horns hanging heavy around his face, and his red eyes glowed with the blood of all the souls he had on his hands.

How we ended up with a friend like Than was the weirdest thing that had happened to me in my entire life, and _that_ was saying a _lot._

Thanatos was one of the (many) personifications of Death in this universe. His alternate forms (Mors, Osiris, Hel, etc.) were significantly less pleasant to deal with, as we’d learned over the years. Thanatos was someone we could call our friendly neighborhood god, of sorts.

Why did we have a friendly neighborhood god? Well, the answer was kind of ridiculous.

Thanatos was in love with Alfred.

Yes. The literal personification of Death, Death incarnate, reaper of souls and devourer of men, had a total puppy crush on my grandfather figure. Alfred had Thanatos wrapped around his finger like a fucking wedding ring.

Which technically made Alfred the most powerful being in existence, but I tried not to think about that too often. It kind of blew my mind.

They’d met back when Alfred had been in M16. He’d come across a shrine to Thanatos that a bunch of goons were destroying. Alfred beat them off and restored the shrine, paying his respects. For _whatever_ Goddamn reason, this caused Thanatos to fall deeply and irrevocably in love with Alfred.

Now, Alfred’s wife had just died, leaving him alone with baby Julia, so Thanatos thought this would be a great time to test out his flirting skills. Don’t ask me why, I haven’t the slightest idea. Gods are weird like that.

For _whatever_ reason, Alfred rejected Thanatos. He explained that Thanatos deserved better than a mere mortal, that he would rather die and go to Heaven than become an immortal consort to the god of Death, that he had people he wanted to see, that he wanted to live out his life, blah blah blah. Stuff like that. I never really listened to the details, though I would probably regret that when I needed a grand romantic gesture.

Surprisingly enough, Thanatos didn’t smite Alfred out of existence. He found Alfred’s loyalty and purity enthralling and fell even harder. But he swore to respect Alfred’s wishes and even told him who his soulmate was. Then he made Alfred a proposition.

This was back before the Justice League had formed proper—Hell, this was in the B.B. era—_Before Bruce._ So a huge chunk of the scumbags we cleaned off the streets of Gotham City were running wild all over the place. Thanatos might have been the god of Death and technically unable to interfere and was _supposed_ to be unbiased, but hey, even the god of Death has a heart. He wanted to see the world a safer place.

So here’s the deal he made with Alfred: if Alfred swore to rid the world of as much evil as he possibly could, he would get a one-way, all expenses paid, unquestionable ticket to Heaven. Any others who pledged to follow this path would receive the same reward.

Alfred accepted, though he admitted it hurt. None of us like killing—except for the evil sides of Jason, Cassandra, and Damian. They _loved_ killing—but we _do_ love making the world a safer place. It was an easy choice for Alfred, albeit a painful one.

And that’s the story of how Alfred became Thanatos’ personal Grim Reaper.

He did eventually gain members—Bruce and Kate joined in as soon as they could, followed by Jim and Lucius and Tanya and Bette and Basil and every single one of us kids. So now Thanatos had an entire army of killers at his disposal.

We did our jobs well. We’d made a pretty good dent in the crime levels of Gotham City—sort of. The whole if-you-kill-a-murderer-the-number-of-murderers-in-the-world-stays-the-same and all that shit. But if you didn’t count _our_ crimes, Gotham City was pretty clean. We helped out the surrounding areas and other places in the world whenever we could, but there was only so much fifteen of us could do when there’s an entire world of evil out there.

Now we had Thanatos as our friendly neighborhood god. He popped in from time to time to check in on us or do us the odd favor, like turning Harper into a woman. Unfortunately, he sometimes forgot that he had to wear _clothes_ when he hung around us mortals, hence Kate’s screaming.

“Hello, Thanatos,” Alfred greeted calmly. “How are you?”

“Delighted as always.” Thanatos smiled charmingly at Alfred. “And how are you, dearest?”

Thanatos may have realized he couldn’t _have_ Alfred, but that certainly didn’t stop him from flirting with him every chance he got.

Come to think of it, maybe _that’s_ why he sometimes _conveniently_ forgot to wear clothes.

“Energized, certainly.” Alfred cocked his head. “To what do we owe the honor of your presence?”

“Two things, really.” Thanatos examined his sharp nails. “First, I came to inquire how your first official meeting with the Justice League went.”

I rolled my eyes. Figures he _would_ know about it.

“They weren’t _too_ repulsed by us,” Kate said dryly. “I could almost _see_ the admiration in their eyes when I mentioned we killed an evil Superboy.”

“Oh, don’t get your cape in a bunch.” Thanatos waved a large hand. “This was just your first meeting! They’ll get used to you.”

“I certainly hope so, or I’ll beat you like a redheaded stepchild,” Jason threatened.

Thanatos grinned. “I’d love to see you try.”

Alfred may have been the love of his life, but Jason, Cassandra, and Damian were his favorites. God knew why. Maybe because of their evil halves?

I sighed. Why did gods have to be so fucking _complicated?_

“What’s the second reason?” Bruce’s cowl was off, and he was combing through his hair. There were little patches of gray starting to appear on the sides. That startled me sometimes. It never really occurred to me to consider Bruce as _old,_ but the truth was that he was thirty-nine and wouldn’t get any younger from here on out.

Thanatos sighed, and for a second he struck me as someone who was incredibly tired. “The second is to give you a list of dead members of the Justice League and Co.™”

Kate frowned. “We know already. They died. We avenged their deaths with those Reach sentinels we tortured.”

“No.” Thanatos rubbed his face. “There’s more.”

I blinked. “Beg pardon?”

Thanatos looked back up at us. His face was grim. “There’ve been more deaths. The League sent a team out into the deeper recesses of space to watch for further alien invasions after the Reach incident.”

“Great job,” Damian muttered.

“Exactly.”

“How long ago was this?” Bruce pressed.

Thanatos bit his lip. “Roughly five years ago. Right after the first invasion. They’ve all been killed now by Citadel soldiers.”

“Who?” Cassandra’s voice cracked on the word. She looked miserable. “Who died?”

Thanatos took a deep breath and began listing out the names.

My heart stopped.

_Eddie Bloomberg. Kid Devil._

_Thara Ak-Var. Super Light._

_ Caitlin Fairchild. Fairchild._

_ Alan Scott. Green Lantern._

_ Katma Tui. Green Burst._

_ Kilowag. Green Flame._

_ Soranik Natu. Green Flash._

_ Carol Farris. Star Sapphire._

_ Michael Carter. Booster Gold._

_John Constantine. Constantine._

_ Ted Grant. Wildcat._

_ Roy Palmer. The Atom._

_ Rufus T. Wild. Buck Wild._

_ Darnice. Rocketeer._

_ Ralph Dibney. Elongated-Man._

_ Patrick O’Brian. Plastic Man._

_ Scott Free. Mr. Miracle._

_ Barda Free. Big Barda._

_ Teth-Adam. Black Adam._

_ Amon Tomaz. Osiris._

_ Adrianne Tomaz. Isis._

_ Maxine Hunkel. Cyclone._

_ Thom Kallor. Starboy._

_ Amethyst. Princess of Gemworld._

_ Jinny Hex. Hex._

_ Greta Hayes. Secret._

_ Anita Fite. Empress._

_ Nathaniel Heywood. Commander Steel._

_ Mari McCabe. Vixen._

_ Maya Ducard. Nobody._

_ Apollo. Apollo._

_ Midnighter. Midnighter._

_ Kent Nelson. Dr. Fate._

_ Laura Neilsen. Silver Sorceress._

_ Jason Hart. Protector._

_ Jesus fucking Christ._

Kate’s mouth was hanging open. “What in—?”

“I’m sorry,” Thanatos said uselessly.

Jason gathered Cassandra and Damian in his arms. All three looked shell-shocked, like they’d just been electrocuted.

I honestly couldn’t blame them.

“Fuck.” Claire, sans mask, leaned into me. Her face was wet with tears. “Fuck. Fuck. _Fuck.”_

“Does the League know?” Bruce’s voice was brittle, broken. “Does the League know about the deaths.”

Thanatos shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Wonderful.” Alfred rubbed his eyes. “I suppose we’ll have to tell them.”

“What if they don’t believe us?” Helena asked quietly.

“They’ll find out soon enough, might as well be from us.” Nightwing ripped his mask off and whirled around, banging his fist into one of the cave’s support beams. _“Shit.”_

“That’s sixty-eight deaths.” Oracle yanked her hood off. Tears were running down her eyes. _“Sixty-eight._ And it hasn’t even been a _month.”_

“Who can we kill?” Damian demanded. His eyes were glowing with a weak green light—always a sign that his anger was flaring up. “Who can we kill to avenge these people? Are there any more aliens out there? Have the Reach and Citadel left any survivors?”

Thanatos shook his head. “No. You killed them all. The Reach and Citadel are no more.”

“Fuck,” Jason muttered. “Fuck fuckity fuck fuck _fuck.”_

“There _is_ a small contingent of Beetles holed up somewhere.”

Our heads shot up.

“Any chance they’ll come to Earth?” Harper asked. Her mask was dangling from her chin. “I could go for slicing some Beetles off their backs. Come to think of it, could we cut off _Khaji Da?”_

“Doubt it. Dude’s a good guy now. Or he _was_ until the Reach came back.” Kate shook her head. “This whole thing is one big fucking mess.”

“You can say that again.” Thanatos checked the Rolex—genuine, of fucking course—on his wrist and sighed. “I have a meeting with Osiris in twenty minutes. I have to go.” He glanced at us. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Depends. Could you tell the JL and Co.™ that thirty-five members of their teams are dead?” Bruce deadpanned.

“Ha ha.” Thanatos snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Dick sighed, resting his head against the support beam. “Who wants to write that message?”

“I will.” Bruce looked resigned, like a man heading off to war and apparent suicide.

“I’ll stay with you,” Kate offered, resting her hands on Bruce’s shoulders.

“As will I.” Alfred came to stand by Bruce. “The rest of you go and get comfortable.”

“What about the mission debriefing?” Harper asked.

“Forget it.” Bruce waved a hand. “Just go.”

We all dispersed into our own little cliques and I knew that we would be using our own coping methods today.

Alfred, Kate, and Bruce would be cuddling.

Barbara, Kate, and Luke would be singing along to Heathers.

Helena, Tim, and Stephanie would be doing arts and crafts.

Harper, myself, and Claire would be watching My Little Pony G1.

Jason, Cassandra, and Damian would be reading Lord of the Rings.

Thank _God_ today was a Sunday and we didn’t have anything to do.

Well, technically I had a report for history, but I could do that while we watched Lickity Split eat her ice cream.

“Meet me in my room in half an hour?” Harper said to Claire and me.

We all nodded.

“Cool. I’m off to shower.” Harper strode off, Claire hot on her heels.

I sighed and shuffled to the male communal showers.

God today fucking sucked.


	43. Don't Blame It On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryand'r wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY RYAND'R MY BABY!
> 
> I have like 75 babies in this show Goddamn.

**Ryand’r**

When I woke up, I realized I was completely naked save for a purple cloak wrapped around my waist. It smelled like blood. It was far too bright in here. Why had the Reach not dimmed the lights down—?

Wait. My eyes snapped open.

The Reach!

The last thing I remembered, I had been so cold—

“No!” I shrieked, jerking up from warm arms that held me.

“Ryand’r! Brother! Rest easy! It is I, Koriand’r!”

Blinking, I looked over to see my beloved, missing older sister smiling down at me.

“K-Kori?” I choked out.

“Oh, _Ryand’r.”_ Kori wrapped her arms around me, tucking me under her chin. “Hush now. You are safe, you are safe.”

“No, no we are not!” I protested. “The Reach and the Citadel, they are planning an invasion! They will be here any second—!”

“They already came,” Kori soothed. “We defeated them all.”

“No, you do not understand, they will not be defeated! They want to take us all!” I gasped, grasping her arm—arm. Right. My arm was missing. “We have to _kill_ them, Kori!”

“We did,” a deeper voice said. “They’ve all been killed.”

Glancing up, I saw a strong figure with a S-shaped logo on his chest. A familiar logo…

“Superman,” I breathed. “Clark Kent.”

“That’d be me.” Clark smiled gently at me. “Don’t worry. You’re perfectly safe here.”

“Can you tell us what happened to you?” a blonde woman—Black Canary, Dinah Lance—asked softly.

“The—my team was ambushed. We were all captured and sent to the Citadel and K—our sister, she…” I trailed off, unable to complete the words.

“Komand’r,” Kori supplied, her gaze growing dark.

“Yes. She slaughtered them all. Except for me. She gave me over to the Reach. They…” I looked sadly at the stump that was my right arm. “They took my arm. They put me on ice.”

Someone—Arsenal, Roy Harper—snorted. “I feel that one, man.” He waved his own prosthetic at me. “Sorry. It gets better, though.”

“I am sure.” I did not quite believe him, but he too had been through this misery. He probably knew more about this than I did.

“Your team,” Kori pressed. “Who were they? If they were killed, we can put up their holograms in our memorial room.”

I blinked at her. “You mean you do not already know?”

Kori frowned. “Know what?”

A loud beeping sound came from a monitor, and a screen appeared, showing a message icon.

“Who’s that from?” a blond man—Green Arrow, Oliver Queen—asked.

“Unknown, but from a Gotham address—” A black-haired man—Zatara, Giovanni Zatara—groaned. “Oh joy. It’s most likely the Gotham City Knights.”

I frowned. “The who? My team did not mention any Knights from this Gotham City.”

“They are new,” Kori explained.

“How did they even get into our systems?” Oliver asked.

_“Rookie mistakes,_ they said,” a mostly metal man—Cyborg, Victor Stone—grumbled. “Rookie mistakes _my fucking ass.”_

“Well open it!” a black-haired woman—Lois Lane—said.

Clark tapped the icon and up came a list.

A list of names I knew.

_List of Citadel Casualties:_

_Eddie Bloomberg. Kid Devil. Young Justice._

_ Thara Ak-Var. _ _Super Light. Outsiders._

_ Caitlin Fairchild. Fairchild. Justice League._

_Alan Scott. Green Lantern. Justice League._

_ Katma Tui. _ _Green Burst. Justice League._

_ Kilowag. Green Flame. Outlaws._

_ Soranik Natu. _ _Green Flash. Ambassadors._

_ Carol Farris. Star Sapphire. Justice League._

_ Michael Carter. Booster Gold. Justice League._

_ John Constantine. Constantine. Justice League._

_ Ted Grant. Wildcat. Justice League._

_ Roy Palmer. The Atom. Justice League._

_ Rufus T. Wild. Buck Wild. Justice League._

_ Darnice. Rocketeer. Justice League._

_ Ralph Dibney. Elongated-Man. Justice League._

_ Patrick O’Brian. Plastic Man. Justice League._

_ Scott Free. Mr. Miracle. Justice League._

_ Barda Free. Big Barda. Birds of Prey._

_ Teth-Adam. Black Adam. Justice League._

_ Amon Tomaz. Osiris. Titans._

_ Adrianne Tomaz. Isis. Titans._

_ Maxine Hunkel. Cyclone. Justice League._

_ Thom Kallor. Starboy. Justice League._

_ Amethyst. Princess of Gemworld. Young Justice._

_ Jinny Hex. Hex. Young Justice._

_ Greta Hayes. Secret. Young Justice._

_ Anita Fite. Empress. Young Justice._

_ Nathaniel Heywood. Commander Steel. Justice League._

_ Mari McCabe. Vixen. Justice League._

_ Maya Ducard. Nobody. Teen Titans._

_ Apollo. Apollo. Justice League._

_ Midnighter. Midnighter. Justice League._

_ Kent Nelson. Dr. Fate. Justice League._

_ Laura Neilsen. Silver Sorceress. Justice League._

_ Jason Hart. Protector. Titans._

There was a note attached to the bottom of the list.

_We are so very sorry—GCK_

There was silence for a minute.

“Shit,” Oliver cursed. _“Shit.”_

“That was my team,” I whispered, curling further into Kori. “I am sorry I could not save them.”

_“You should have!”_ a silvery man—Captain Atom, Nathaniel Adam—roared. “You should have _saved_ them instead of _sitting_ on your _worthless Tamaranian ass—!”_

Someone’s fist clocked him across the face, and he flew back, tumbling head over heels, coming to a stop just short of the glass window in what I assumed was the Watchtower I had heard so much about.

_“Shut your fucking face!”_ a boy that looked shockingly like Jon Kent bellowed. But it could not have been Jon Kent—he was significantly older and looked far harsher, crueler than the Jon Thara had shown me in her pictures.

“Laney, calm down!” Lois gasped. “He’s just upset, he didn’t mean what he said. He’s not blaming Ryand’r!”

“No, I’m blaming him,” Nathaniel groaned from where he leaned against the glass.

“You shouldn’t,” a tall man—Captain Marvel, Billy Batson—said sternly. “He’s no more at fault for this than you are.”

“Bullshit,” Nathaniel muttered.

A slight brunette—Mary Marvel, Mary Bromfield—took a step forward. “Stop taking your guilt out on him,” she said shortly. “If you blame yourself, fine, but leave Ryand’r out of this.”

“Thank you, Miss Bromfield,” I mumbled.”

“Please, call me Mary,” she told me, smiling gently.

“Then call me Ry.”

“I’m Jon Lane,” the Jon-lookalike who had punched Nathaniel said sheepishly. “You can call me Laney if you want.”

I smiled tentatively at him. “Thank you, Laney. No one has ever punched someone in my own defense before.”

Laney grinned. “Trust me, it was my genuine pleasure.”

“Yeah, I bet it was,” Nathaniel grumbled.

“I suggest we all go home now,” Dinah said quietly. “It’s been a taxing day already, and some of us need to recover. Er, Ry, I can have a prosthetic arm made up for you in a few days.”

“Thank you,” I said to her, smiling. I seemed to be doing that a lot around these people. I liked them. They were nice—with the possible exception of Nathaniel. “That would be nice.”

“Come.” Kori helped me stand, keeping the cape wrapped around my waist. I stumbled on shaky legs, allowing her to support me. “You can come with me to my home. It is in Florida, a land with lots of sunshine. You will like it there.”

I did not respond, just let Kori help me toward the portals—er, Zeta Tubes, my team had called them. There was a flash of bright light, then suddenly I was standing in a neat room decorated in Tamaranian colors.

“Here, here.” Kori led me up a flight of stairs into a large room with a comfy purple couch in front of a large screen—a TV, I think they were called. She sat me down on the couch and tucked a soft lilac quilt around my shoulders.

“Thank you, Kori.” I glanced down at my lap, then at the empty stump that was now my arm. “I—I am sorry, I—”

“Hush now, dear Ryand’r.” Kori drew me into her arms, tucking my head beneath her chin. “All is well now.”

No, all is _not_ well now.

My team, my _friends,_ were dead.

I burst into tears.

All of my friends were dead.


	44. Adjusting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laney goes home with his new family.

**Jon Lane Kent**

When I stepped out of the Zeta Tube into the Hall of Justice in Washington D.C., I had to blink at the difference. “Huh. This place looks different than in my timeline.”

“What, are some of the buildings different?” Connor asked.

“No, the whole place was blown to bits,” I deadpanned.

“Well, there will be none of that here,” Clark said firmly. “You are to behave yourself or we call Orphan in to straighten you out. Understand?”

“You’re not my father,” I told him coldly. “But fine.”

“Technically, he _is_ your father,” Lois pointed out.

“Technically, I killed him,” I retorted.

“Rao, do you _ever_ stop with the negativity? I’m beginning to get why Red Hood didn’t like you,” Kara muttered. “Then again, I don’t think he likes anybody.”

“Can we just go back to your apartment?” Natasha asked. She looked more than a little miserable.

For a moment, I felt a twinge of pity. Then I pushed it down. Pity was for weaklings, Harvest said so. And Harvest was never wrong.

“Sure thing, honey.” Lois wrapped her arms around Clark’s neck. “Shall we?”

“Can we race?” Jon asked, jumping up and down.

“Yeah!” Mia cheered. “Let’s race!”

“All right!” Clark wrapped his arms around Lois. “Ready…”

“Hold on!” I interjected. “I object to this—”

“…set…”

“We are _not_ racing!” I protested.

“…go!”

“Oh _fuck_ this!” I groaned as I sped out of the Hall of Justice with the rest of my technical family.

Since I had no idea where I was going, I just stayed with them until we got to the top of a very large apartment building. Jon landed first, squealing with excitement.

“I won!” he chanted. “I won I won I won!”

I opened my mouth to tell him that winning a race was nothing to be happy about, but one look from Chris had me closing it. No point if I was just going to get yelled at for it.

“I think some breakfast is in order,” Bizarro said. “Or lunch, rather, given that it is around noon.”

“Ooh, can we have grilled cheese please?” Mia asked. “I _love_ your grilled cheese, Mom, it’s _so good!”_

Lois laughed. “All right, all right, I’ll make some grilled cheese. But I’ll need some help, since you Kryptonians eat like horses.” She glanced at me. “What about you? Would you like some grilled cheese too?”

I had absolutely no idea what that was.

“Whatever,” I grunted.

She must have taken that as a yes, because she turned around and led us through the rooftop door without any further comment. We all followed her, me last of all.

We only went down to the top floor, where there was a rather large, sunlit apartment waiting for us. It was modestly furnished with large windows and more than a few potted plants. There was also a giant kitchen with not one, not two, but _three_ refrigerators.

Rao, how much did these people _eat?_

I never ate. Harvest never fed me, and besides, I got all of my energy from the sun as it was. So this would be an experience I would have to get used to.

“Okay, I’m making five sandwiches per Kryptonian,” Lois announced, marching into the kitchen. “I’m only eating one today.”

“Lois, that’s hardly enough for a woman with your metabolism!” Clark protested. “You need to eat more!”

“Clark, if I eat even half as much as you Kryptonians and metas, I’ll be over six hundred pounds within a week. Besides,” Lois said as she opened one of the refrigerators, pulling out several blocks of cheese, “I’m not that hungry anyway.”

Clark shrugged. “Fair.” He turned away. “I’m going to get out of my suit.” He paused and glanced back at me. “Er, Laney, you can borrow come of Kon’s clothes until we get you some of your own.”

Connor shrugged. “Sure. Come on, man, let’s get you into some jeans.”

I blinked. “Jeans?” What the fuck were jeans?

Connor shook his head. “Rao, you’re weird.” He grabbed my wrist and began leading me through the apartment into what had to be the master suite. It had two massive bunkbeds, both queen-sized, and a massive walk-in closet.

“This is the boys’ room,” Connor told me as he started rifling through the closet. “I share it with Biz, Jon, and Chris. We’ll have to get you your own bed. Until then, you can share with Jon.”

“Whatever,” I said again.

Connor rolled his eyes. “Dude, you have _got_ to expand your vocabulary.” He tossed a pair of hard pants—I assumed those were jeans—and a pair of cottony boxers at me. “Put these on. I need to find you the right shirt.”

“Does that really matter?” I asked as I stripped out of my suit. I felt more than just physically naked without it—my suit had been the only pair of clothes I’d ever gotten in my life. Harvest had obviously modified it as I’d grown, but it was a part of me, and I was rather reluctant to let it go.

“Here, I think I got you a good one.” Connor passed me a plain gray shirt, then glanced down—and grinned. “Yes! I’m bigger than you!”

“What!” I squawked, bringing my hands down to protect my modesty. “What the Hell does that have to do with anything?”

“Sorry.” Connor was still grinning. “It’s a guy thing. Comparing dick sizes, it’s…I don’t know, an ego thing?”

“Well quit it,” I snapped. “It’s weird.”

Connor threw up his hands. “Whatever, man. Here, let me see your suit. I’ll hang it up.”

I jerked back, clutching my suit. “No.”

“Dude, it’s cool. You’ll get it back, I promise.” Connor held out a hand. “I’m just putting it away so no one finds it. Okay?”

I didn’t want to, but it was expected of me, and if Harvest had taught me anything it was that I had to do what was expected of me.

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth, thrusting my suit into Connor’s hands.

“Thanks. Now get dressed. I don’t want to be staring at your puny dick any more than the next person,” Connor said, smirking.

_“Stop that!”_ I bellowed. “I am adequately sized!”

“Whatever, man. Just put the clothes on.” Connor disappeared into the closet, probably to put my suit away and get changed himself.

Slipping on the boxers and the jeans, I had to wonder at the difference in texture. The boxers were smooth and soft on my skin whereas the jeans, while still soft, were rougher to the touch. The shirt was as soft as the boxers, and I ran my fingers over it in wonder, trying to figure out how it was made.

Connor reappeared then, having changed into a white shirt with no sleeves and pants that seemed to be made out of something Harvest had told me was called leather.

“Come on,” he told me. “Let’s let Jon and Biz and Chris get changed and see how lunch is coming along.”

I followed him out of the room to see Lois and an unsuited Natasha at the stove, puttering around with what looked like seventeen loaves of bread, a bunch of cheese, and a literal army of frying pans. Rao, how much did Kryptonians _eat?_

Despite the fact that I had never eaten, I was familiar with foods, since Harvest had to eat. I’d watched him consume lots of things that I didn’t know the names of. They’d smelled good, but I’d never told him that.

Clark was out of his suit too and was typing away on a laptop, frowning. An unsuited Kara and Mia were seated at a rather large table holding each other’s hands.

I frowned. I thought they were cousins—were they dating?

“No, they’re not dating,” Connor hissed to me. “They’re comforting each other. A lot of the people who died were their friends.”

Hmph. Wimps. I’d killed my father without batting an eye.

“Mmm, that smells good!” Connor said, walking over to Lois and Natasha. “How many you got so far?”

“Five,” Natasha answered.

“Damn.” Connor marched away toward the TV.

“Laney!” Jon cried, flying out of his room. “Come on, I’ve got to show you how to play Super Smash Bros!”

I blinked. “Super Smash what?”

Chris, who’d followed him, gasped. “Dude. You’ve never played a video game?”

Now I was frowning. “What’s a video game?”

“Rao, this poor man.” Bizarro took my hand—gently, for someone that massive—and led me toward the TV that Connor was powering up. “Come. We must educate you.”

“I don’t need to be educated,” I grumbled, but I let Bizarro sit me down on a soft ball of some cushy fabric and hand me some sort of…remote? Controller? I had no idea. “Jon, please explain.”

“Okay, so the aim of this game is to defeat your opponent before they defeat you,” Jon said, holding his own controller.

I perked up. “Like killing?”

“Basically, yeah.” Chris plopped down next to me. “We’ll show you how to work the controls. But first, you’ve got to pick a character.”

“Pick a what?” I looked up at the TV screen to see a whole bunch of faces along with some perky music playing. “What character? Who are these people?”

Connor sighed. “You poor, poor creature. Here, we’ll help.”

They showed me how to work the controls, then started arguing about which character I should choose.

“No, not Charizard, he’s my favorite!”

“No way, Doctor Mario sucks!”

“Oof, if you pick the Wii Fit instructor, you are asking for a beating.”

“Dude, no way! Samus is _my_ bae!”

“Ooh, yes yes yes, go for Pikachu!”

By the time they’d finished arguing, I’d wound up with some dragon character named Ripley. He looked cool—black scales and a large figure. Would he be my key for victory? I hoped so.

When the round started, the others gave me time to figure out the controls before they went at it in earnest.

And boy, did they go at it.

There was apparently no familial loyalty when it came to Super Smash Bros.

I lost that round spectacularly, which made me steaming mad. I was _Supernova,_ damn it! I was supposed to be the best! I’d killed every single Rao-damned metahuman in my timeline! I would _not_lose at such a stupid game!

“Yes!” Chris cheered. He’d won, the fucker. “Want to play again?” he asked me.

_“I WILL NOT LOSE TO A BUNCH OF WORTHLESS KRYPTONIANS LIKE YOU!”_ I roared.

Connor toasted me with his controller. “That’s the spirit!”

By the time lunch was finished (it took about an hour), I’d gone from losing in a horribly humiliating fashion to getting to second place. But I was not done yet. I wanted to _win._

“Lunchtime!” Natasha called.

“Come on, Laney, it’s lunchtime!” Jon said, putting his controller down.

“No, not yet! I have to beat you!” I protested.

Bizarro laughed and patted my shoulder. “You can do that later on a full stomach. Now come, grilled cheese awaits!”

Clark and everyone else were sitting at the table. There was an extra chair added—for me. If I wasn’t so frustrated at losing and if I didn’t hate them all, I would have found it sweet.

“Eat up!” Lois set a plate full of five grilled cheese sandwiches down in front of me along with a glass of what I guessed was lemonade. “Let me know if you need anything!”

I nodded, too focused on the plate in front of me.

I had never eaten before.

Harvest had forbidden me from eating.

But it smelled really good…

Picking up a sandwich, I sniffed it curiously before taking a bite.

My taste buds exploded.

I chewed as slowly as I could, gasping at the flavor.

Today I had made a discovery.

Grilled cheese was _delicious._

Clark laughed at my facial expression. “You like it?”

I didn’t answer, just swallowed and took another bite.

“Here, try this.” Natasha passed a bottle of what was apparently ketchup over to me. “It’s awesome.”

“Ugh.” Kara wrinkled her nose. “Don’t listen to her, that shit’s nasty.”

“Just try a little,” Lois offered. She grabbed the ketchup and squirted a little onto the side of my plate. “That way you can decide if you like it or not.”

Eyeing the red blob, I dunked the corner of my sandwich into the ketchup and took a bite.

_Rao on a damn cracker._

If I’d thought the grilled cheese on its _own_ had been good—

Snatching up the ketchup bottle, I dumped a large helping on my plate and attacked it, scooping up large portions with my sandwiches.

Bizarro laughed and toasted me with his glass. “That is the spirit!”

Within the span of a few minutes, I’d gone through the entire plate, plus the lemonade, which turned out to be _delicious._ The rest of the Kryptonians were just as fast as me. Lois too was finished, slow as she was, but then, she’d only had one sandwich.

“All right, Clark, Kara, Mia!” Lois rattled off. “It’s your turn to do the dishes.”

“I’ll be there in a second.” Clark stood up and gestured to me. “Laney and I need to have a chat.”

Oh _great._ I tried not to let my exasperation show as I stood up and followed Clark out of the room into the boys’ bedroom.

Clark faced me, a frown on his lips. “Look, I’m not going to pretend to know what happened to you in your life.”

I opened my mouth to tell him _exactly_ what had happened to me in my life, but Clark cut me off. “But I do know that you’re my son, whether you like it or not.”

As a matter of fact, I _didn’t_ like it, but I decided to keep my mouth shut for fear of being interrupted again.

“I just…” Clark sighed and grabbed my shoulders. I tensed up. “Just let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”

You could go _die. That_ was something you could do. But I bit my lip and nodded.

Clark grinned and clapped me on my shoulder. “There we go. Now, how about you go back out there and play with Jon and them, hmm? You’re getting better.”

With that, Clark left the room, leaving me to my thoughts.

I couldn’t kill them. That was the rule. Otherwise, Orphan would come and rain Hell on my ass. But what was I supposed to do? There were the people that had _abandoned_ me, _hated_ me enough to _leave_ me. Why should I do _anything_ for them?

Which left the decision: kill them all or live to see another day?

In the end, I went back to Harvest’s teachings.

_Do as you’re expected,_ he’d always told me. _Do as you’re expected and you will be rewarded._

Sighing, I walked out of the boys’ bedroom and back to the living room, where Jon, Chris, Bizarro, and Connor were all waiting for me.

If I was expected to play video games, then so be it.

And this time, I was going to win.


	45. Up To No Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim gets up to shenanigans.

**Dick Grayson**

_Hallelujah, hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, hallelujah_

Jay was singing to himself as he chopped up some Granny Smith apples. Plopping down on the counter, I munched on a Golden Delicious (the best kind, in my opinion) and watched as Jay sliced his apple.

_You say I took the name in vain, I don’t even know the name_

_But if I did, well really, what’s it to you?_

_There’s a blaze of light in every word, it doesn’t matter what you heard_

_The holy or the broken hallelujah_

I couldn’t help but smile.

I loved it when Jay sang. He had a beautiful voice—we all did. One of our many talents—but that wasn’t it.

Little Wing wasn’t happy very often. Sure, he _acted_ happy, but in reality? He was totally miserable half the time. One of the few times he was genuinely content was when he was cuddled up with Cass and Dami and a book.

Watching him sing like this made me feel happy inside, because it meant that Jay was happy. And when Jay was happy, I was happy.

“That’s fucking _it!”_ Timmy stormed in, slamming his palms on the counter, making Jay jump.

“Jesus, Timbo, chill out, would you?” Jay grumbled, examining his thumb for a possible cut. “What’s up?”

“I’m bored. I want to cause some trouble.”

“He’s been saying that for the past half hour,” Lena said dryly, marching into the kitchen, Steph on her heels. “Almost ruined my sculpture.”

“Ooh, a sculpture?” Jay popped an apple slice into his mouth. “What of?”

“A crucifix,” Lena answered, grabbing a slice from Jay’s cutting board.

Of course. I had been born and raised an Atheist, but Lena was very religious. I didn’t hold it against her—none of us did—but it wasn’t surprising when most of her wood carvings or sculptures were Biblical-based.

“How much trouble do you want to cause, Timmy?” I asked, finishing off my apple and tossing the core into the trash bin. It hit the edge as it went in.

“Enough to fuck the entire League over.” Timmy started out of the kitchen. “I’m going to the Batcomputer. Get everyone down there in five minutes. Let’s see what kind of damage we can do.”

“You got it,” I called after him, then said, “Christ, has he had _any_ sleep since last night?”

“Nope,” Steph said, popping the p.

“Figures.” Jay sighed, scooping the apple slices in a bowl. “I’ll go get Cass and Dams. Helena, Stephanie, you got Barbara, Harper, Luke, Duke, and Claire?”

“Sure.” Lena and Steph vacated the kitchen.

“I’ll go get Alf, B, and Katie.” I hopped off the counter and made a beeline for the master suite in the manor.

B never slept in the manor’s master suite. He’d insisted that Alf take that bedroom when he became his legal guardian. B still kept the room he’d had when he was a boy, but whenever he needed to cuddle, he and Katie went to Alf’s room.

They were all there now, tucked under the covers, sleeping soundly. B and Katie’s heads were pillowed on Alf’s chest and Alf had his arms around them both.

I smiled sadly. It was times like this that I remembered just how fucked up the three of them were. Alf, B, and Katie had had their whole _worlds_ ripped apart, on _multiple_ occasions. It was an honest-to-God _miracle_ they all weren’t stark-raving _mad_ at this point.

Closing my eyes, I remembered the immediate aftermath of losing Nell. Alf had been cleaning the house like a damn _fiend._ B had alternated between patrolling day and night and staring at the locked knife drawer in the kitchen when he wasn’t passed out. As for Katie, she’d gone out the night of the funeral and gotten so wasted that B and Alf had had to go and drag her home. At least B hadn’t relapsed too. That would have been too much to handle.

Leaning down, I shook Alf’s shoulder. “Yo. Wake up, you guys.”

Katie cracked an eye open. “Fuck off, Dick. We’re tired.”

“You’re going to want to be awake for this,” I told her. “Timmy’s planning to wreck some shit for the League.”

_“Ugh,”_ Katie groaned. _“Curse_ that boy. All right all right.”

She reached over and whacked B on the back. “Yo, Brucie. Your son is planning to fuck shit up.”

“Which one?” B grunted.

“The coffee addict.”

“Fuck.” B sat up, rubbing his eyes. “I thought he was sculpting.”

“He was. Must’ve gotten bored.” I blinked at Alf. “You planning on waking him up?”

“If you’re referring to me, then I’m afraid I’m already awake,” Alf said without opening his eyes. “I suppose we must now go make sure he doesn’t do anything too rash.”

“That’s the plan.” B kicked off the covers and stretched. “Let’s go.”

I led the three grownups (technically I was also a grownup, but I was so used to Alf, B, and Katie calling the shots that I’d always considered them the adults to my child) out of Alf’s suite and down the stairs to the Batcave, where everyone else was gathered around the Batcomputer. Timmy was sitting in front of it, sucking on his bottom lip.

“What to do, what to do,” he mused, then perked up when he saw the four of us. “Hey, guys! What’s up?”

“We were sleeping,” Katie grumbled, rubbing his eyes. “What’s the emergency?”

“I want to do some favors for the League, since they’ve just lost a huge chunk of their members and close friends/relatives. You know?”

“Good idea, but what can we do for them?” Jay mused. “I mean, they’ve already got so much.”

“Clark. Housing,” Cass piped up. “Too many family members. Not enough room.”

“Cain, you brilliant woman,” Dami declared, snapping his fingers. “That is perfect. The Supers need more room. But how to get them more room without looking suspicious?”

“There’s always Lois’ dad,” I offered. “From what I remember, he’s a bit of a dick. Also wrapped up in Lex Luthor’s general illegality. He has a pretty big house. A mansion, if I’m remembering correctly.”

“Ah, the joys of being rich and evil.” Lena glanced at her nails. “So what, we get the dad arrested and gift the house to Clark and them?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Timmy started tapping on the computer. “Anything else?”

“That’s about all I can think of right now,” I said regretfully.

“Ooh, ooh! Isn’t the Kents’ will under legal scrutiny right now?” Steph piped up. “Since Clark’s not their real son and all that? They left him the farm, but he can’t get it.”

“Override that,” B ordered. “Give them full access. And pay off any mortgages it may have. Same goes for the mansion.”

“We may need to give them a raise,” Lena added.

Katie nodded. “Why not? We own the Daily Planet. Give Clark and Lois a pay raise. Hell, give them _all_ a pay raise.” She snorted. “Oh my God, Bruce, you’re your soul mate’s boss. You pay his salary. This is some Fifty Shades of Grey grade bullshit.”

_“Please_ never say that again,” B groaned. “Literally all eight of my various secretaries already call me Christian, I don’t need anyone else doing it.”

“Come to think of it, didn’t Vicki Vale write an article on how you were the modern-day Christian Grey?” Babs asked teasingly.

B dropped his face into his hands. “I _hate_ that _Goddamn book!”_

“Excuse you, that book is a _masterpiece!”_ I cried.

“It’s terribly written, not to mention horrifically sexually inaccurate,” Jay muttered.

A retort was on the tip of my tongue—_and how would you know_—but I bit it back. Probably not best to push that button with Jay.

“Anyway, that’s all settled.” Timmy stopped typing for a second. “What’s next?”

“Jaime and Artemis,” Babs said immediately.

“Which Artemis?” Lukie asked.

_“My_ Artemis.” Babs rolled her eyes. “Jesus, if we ever _do_ manage to start dating, that’s going to get really confusing really fast.”

“Just call her Arty,” I suggested. “That’s what I’d do.”

Babs visibly brightened at the idea. “Thanks, Dickie!”

I made finger guns at her. ”No problem.”

”But what about _my_ Artemis?” Harps asked.

I shrugged. “Beats me. Um…Miss?”

Harps grinned. “That’ll work.”

“Back to Jaime and Arty.” Babs was biting her lip. “Their families’ houses. I know Arty is living with Will right now and Jaime is with Jay and Joan and Ed and Bart, but they need more space. And besides, it might make them more comfortable to be somewhere they feel love.”

“It could also make them horribly depressed,” Clairie pointed out.

“It is not a matter of feelings, it is a matter of possession,” Dami interjected. “Those houses should be theirs by right. Therefore, it should only be right that they be gifted to them.”

“Fair enough. On it.” Timmy began typing again. “Next?”

“Courtney and the Shazams need their houses too,” I offered. “Get those for them. And speed up the Shazams’ adoption processes.”

“Hawks?” Cass asked.

Clairie waved a hand. “They can move. Pennsylvania is closer to Egypt than California.”

“True that. Next?”

B bit his lip. “That’s about all I can think of.”

“I got nothing,” Jay said.

Cass shrugged.

Everyone else made various noises of agreement.

“That can’t be it!” Timmy pounded his fist into the keyboard. “There’s got to be _something_ else we can do for them!”

“Give the Wonders who don’t live together a mansion and pay for everyone’s college educations,” Alf suggested. “Oh, and don’t forget to provide everyone with the appropriate accommodations so they can actually _live_ in their new homes.”

Timmy snapped his fingers. _“Brilliant._ Thanks, Alfred.”

Alf smiled. “Tis what I do, Master Timothy. Now, if we are all done here, I would much like to return to my nap.”

He turned and walked smartly out of the Batcave, B and Katie hot on his heels.

Jay yawned, stretching his arms above his head. “Well great, we’ve done our good deeds for the day.”

“We killed a bunch of homicidal aliens, discovered a new Super, and saved a Tamaranian,” Steph pointed out.

“Allow me to rephrase—we’ve done our _non-mandatory_ good deed for the day,” Jay fired back. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go work out. Cass, Dams, you in?”

“Yes,” Dami replied. Cass nodded.

“Sweet. Oh, and be sure to tuck your wings in. They keep knocking into each other.”

Silence.

“Um, Jay,” I started, “I hate to break this to you—”

Jay sighed. “You don’t have wings. Right.”

I winced. “Sorry, Jay.”

“Whatever,” Jay grumbled, stomping off to the sparring mat. Dami and Cass followed him.

“Poor thing,” Clairie murmured, watching them go. “I really wish there were some meds that would work on him.”

Since Jay’s mental instabilities were caused by a pit from Hell, we’d discovered that he couldn’t be helped by taking any normal medication, which sucked balls. The same went for Cass and Dami. Poor things.

“So.” Babs pursed her lips. “What do you think they’ll say when they find out what we’ve done?”

Timmy grinned. “My guess is that they’ll all go _What the fuck?”_


	46. What The Fuck?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mia Kent and her family get some weird news. Good news, but weird news.

**Mia Kent**

_“What the fuck?”_ Mom squawked.

I looked up from my phone. “What’s wrong, Mom? Did White dock your pay again?”

“No!” Mom was gaping at her phone. “We all got a _raise.”_

Kara blinked from where she was playing Who Was It? with Nat. “Beg pardon?”

“Yeah!” Mom held up her phone with shaking hands. “Everyone at the Daily Planet just got a _substantial_ raise.”

Nat raised an eyebrow. “How much of a raise are we talking about?”

“The average reporter’s salary is on average fifty thousand a year.” Mom’s face was white. “Mine just got raised to _one hundred thousand.”_

Okay, _what_ the _legitimate fuck._

Kara whistled. “Damn. Bruce Wayne must have been feeling generous today.”

Dad came running into the room. “Lois, did you _see_ this?”

“Yes, yes I did,” Mom said.

_“One hundred thousand dollars!”_ Dad’s eyes were bugging out of his head. “What was Bruce Wayne _thinking?”_

“That he doesn’t pay us enough, despite the fact that we earn more than the average journalist in the whole USA?” Mom offered.

_“Exactly._ And hey, there’s _more.”_ Dad was grinning. “The mess with Ma and Pa’s will’s finally been straightened out!”

“You mean you got the farm?” Kara gasped.

“I got the farm!” Dad confirmed.

I squealed, leaping up and wrapping Dad in a hug. “Dad, that’s _awesome!”_

“I _know!”_ Dad spun me around as fast as he could.

Mom suddenly gasped.

“What?” Dad stopped and I let go. “What now?”

“My dad’s in jail,” Mom said blandly, staring at her phone.

“Oh _shit,”_ Nat gasped, knocking over the ghost.

“Lois, I’m so sorry!” Kara gasped.

Mom shrugged. “Don’t be. He was a dick anyway.” She squinted. “It says his mansion is left to—” Her jaw dropped. _“Me?”_

I blinked. “Mom? You own a mansion now?”

“Apparently.” Mom glanced at Dad. “What’s with all of this? First everything goes wrong and now everything goes right? Something’s up, I can feel it. No one gets this lucky.” Her nose twitched. “Someone’s intervened in our lives.”

“What makes you say that?” I asked, stepping closer.

“Because there’s _no way_ my dad would leave his _mansion_ to _me.”_ Mom bit her lip. “And the will problems _suddenly_ straightening themselves out? And the _raise? Something’s_ up.”

“Don’t you think you’re overreacting?” Kara tried.

“Nope.” Mom’s nose was twitching even more now. “I’m getting the gitchy feeling again.”

The gitchy feeling was something that had been Mom’s saving grace for most of her life. It helped her sniff out stories, helped her find out Dad was Superman, helped her sense danger before it happened. If the gitchy feeling was acting up, chances are, someone was up to something.

“Do you think Lex Luthor has something to do with this?” Nat asked.

Mom snorted. “What, _that_ asshole? Please. He _hates_ the Daily Planet since he can’t _own_ us like he owns everything _else_ in Metropolis.”

“Maybe it was Bruce Wayne?” Dad suggested. He had his thoughtful face on.

“Why would _Bruce Wayne_ help _us?”_ Kara asked, rolling the dice. “He doesn’t even know we _exist._ Except for you, Lois.” She nodded at Mom.

“Hmm. Maybe not.” Mom slammed her fist into the table. “But by God, I’ll find out who did this if my name isn’t Lois Joanne Lane!”

And it was.

“You do that.” Nat moved her piece three spaces. “In the meantime, how about we focus on what the Hell we do with the mansion and farmhouse you now own?”

Dad snapped his fingers. “Good point. What do we do? We have to use both, otherwise we might lose the other.”

Mom bit her lip. “How about we split up? Boys one way, girls the other?”

I blinked at her. “What?”

“I mean, the boys can live with Clark at the farm and the girls can live with me in the mansion,” Mom suggested. “The boys can go to school in Smallville and the girls can go to school in Metropolis. We can alternate dinners at your place and ours.”

Nat cocked her head. “That…actually sounds like a good plan. I could use some all-girl company.”

“What if one of us gets homesick?” I asked. “Or one of us misses our parent?” I was speaking mostly for Jon’s sake, because the ten-year-old hadn’t really lived without both of his parents together under one roof.

“Then they can spend the night.” Dad’s eyes were twinkling—his happy expression. “That is a fantastic idea, Lois.”

Mom beamed. “I’m not a Pulitzer-winning journalist for nothing.”

“It’s settled, then.” Dad clapped his hands. “I’ll call the boys in for a family meeting.”

“Can you hold off until we’ve finished our game?” Nat picked up the dice. “We’re almost losing here.”

Right on cue, the small container that came with the game rumbled, “I am the wizard. You cannot stop me.”

“Fuck,” Kara cursed.

Mom chuckled. “Sure thing.”

I pursed my lips. “I wonder what the others will think of this?”

Mom’s phone buzzed again. She picked it up—and screamed.

_“Rao_ on a _cracker!”_ I yelped, jumping.

“What, what!” Kara and Nat looked startled. “What is it?” Kara repeated.

“Y-Your…” Now Mom was _totally_ at a loss for words. “Your college educations have been…_paid for.”_

“Fucking _what!”_ Nat screamed.

Kon skidded into the room, quickly followed by the rest of the boys. “What’s going on?”

“Did someone die?” Laney asked hopefully. “Please tell me someone died.”

“No, no one’s dead!” Kara snapped at him.

“Damn,” he grumbled.

“What is going on?” Bizarro asked curiously.

“Lois and Clark now have 100k as a salary, Clark owns a farm, Lois owns a mansion, and our college educations have been paid for,” Nat summed up.

“Wait, _what?”_ Chris squawked.

“Oh _yeah!”_ Jon did a cartwheel in midair. “This is _awesome!”_

“This is _ridiculous!”_ Kon remarked.

“What’s college?” Laney asked blankly.

“Okay, _something’s_ up here!” Mom stood up, smacking the table. “And I’m _going_ to find out what!”

“I’ll help,” Clark told her.

The container said, “I am the wizard. The kingdom is now mine.”

_“Fuck!”_ Kara cursed.

“Seriously, _what_ the _Hell_ is _college?”_ Laney yelled.

I smiled. I loved my family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill. Anyone who figures out where the gitchy feeling is from and who knows the game Who is it? gets a one shot of their OTP.


	47. Turning A Twosome Into A Threesome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime gets some surprising news and Ed is going through a crisis.

**Eduardo Dorado Jr.**

I was sitting with Bart’s head in my lap, stroking his soft hair, when I heard Jaime squawk, _“What the fuck?”_

“Language, young man!” Joan called from the kitchen.

Bart sat up. “I wonder what that’s about?”

“We’d better go check,” I said.

We found Jaime crouched on the floor of the room he and I shared—Jay and Joan’s logic there was that Bart and I wouldn’t be together and therefore wouldn’t get up to shenanigans. Sometimes I wondered if they forgot that Bart could phase through walls—clutching his phone. Tears were pouring down his face.

“Jaime?” Bart knelt down next to the shaking boy and clutched his shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

Jaime looked up. Tears were clouding his bright brown eyes and streaking down his cheeks. It took all my willpower to keep from leaning in and kissing them away.

_Dios mio,_ love was complicated.

“What is it, _amigo?”_ I asked, using my thumbs to wipe away his tears. “What’s happened?”

“It’s…” Jaime’s lips wobbled. “It’s my family’s house. It’s…it’s been given to me.”

I blinked. “Beg pardon?”

“I…I just got an email.” Jaime held up his phone. “It…it says the property has been purchased in my name—_debt-free.”_

_ Dios mio._

“Now _that_ is _crash,”_ Bart declared.

“Yeah, I guess.” Jaime sniffled. “But…but how can I live there all alone? Without my family? And college, how am I going to go to _college…?”_

I bit my lip. That was a hard one.

Suddenly Bart jumped up, snapping his fingers. “I’ve got it!”

I frowned. “Got what? _Amorcito?” Sweetheart._

“Quick, quick!” Bart hauled us both to our feet. “Come with me!”

I glanced at Jaime, who shrugged, and let Bart pull us along to the kitchen, where Jay and Joan were sitting reading the newspaper.

I couldn’t stop the small smile from flitting across my face. Those two were so cute together.

Maybe Bart and I would be like that someday.

And maybe Jaime too, but maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part.

“I have an announcement.” Bart struck a pose. “We’re moving into Jaime’s house!”

I blinked.

What?

“What?” Jay asked.

“What?” Joan repeated.

_“What?”_ Jaime gasped.

_Dios mio,_ Bart, _amorcito,_ you incredible genius.

Living in Jaime’s house would be the _perfect_ solution. That way, Jaime wouldn’t have to be alone, he could live in his childhood home, we could have a bigger home than the one we already did—it just worked _perfectly._

“Bart, _cariño,_ you’re a genius!” Jaime cried. _Darling._

I blinked.

Did Jaime just call Bart _cariño?_

Did he forget that I spoke Spanish too?

Did this mean that Jaime had feelings for Bart?

Well that was _great_ in the grand scheme of things, but Jaime loving Bart was only half the battle. What about _me?_ Did Jaime love _me?_

Questions for later.

Jaime didn’t seem to notice his slip-up. Instead he faced Jay and Joan. “Could we do that? _Please?”_

“Hold on, hold on.” Jay held up his hands. “First of all, we don’t even _own_ Jaime’s house.”

“Actually, Jaime does.” Bart grabbed Jaime’s phone and held it out. “See? Jaime was just gifted the house!”

_“What?”_ Joan peered at the phone. “When did _this_ happen?”

“About two minutes ago,” I said. “He literally just got the email.”

“Goodness.” Jay shook his head. “All right, but that’s only one problem. What about our jobs? Is there a good school nearby? Jaime, I know you’re enrolled in a nearby college, but for Bart and Ed…”

“There’s a great high school nearby,” Jaime said quietly. “I went there. It’s great. Got plenty of interesting courses.”

“Well that’s fantastic, but what about jobs for Joan and I?” Jay asked.

Jaime’s phone buzzed and Joan’s eyebrows shot up. “Goodness, job offers!”

“What?” Jay looked at the screen. “Says here they’re looking for two scientists in the El Paso branch of Star Labs and secretaries at the local dentistry office, psychiatrist’s office, and history museum.” His eyebrows shot up. _“And_ your _entire college educations_ have been paid _in full._ What the _Hell?”_

“This is really weird.” Bart frowned. “Not that I’m complaining, but this is really coincidental. Maybe we should call Grandma and have her investigate.”

“Good idea. But in the meantime, there’s no harm in actually _doing_ any of this stuff, is there?” Jaime asked, leaning forward. Tears were brimming in his eyes again, and I reached over and placed a hand on the small of his back. He smiled at me gratefully.

Jay bit his lip. “I suppose…but Bart, go call your grandma, just to be on the safe side.”

“Got it.” Bart handed Jaime his phone back and zoomed off.

“Come on, let’s get you a glass of tea.” I led Jaime to the kitchen counter and grabbed the pitcher of Lipton lemon tea from the refrigerator. As I poured three glasses—Jay and Joan already had some—I glanced at Jaime. He was watching me with a thoughtful frown. There were still a few tears in his eyes.

“You all right, _amigo?”_ I asked. I couldn’t outright call him _mi amor,_ though I really, _really_wanted to. The sacrifices I made in the name of love. “You’re not looking so good.” _My love._

“I think the better question is, are _you_ okay?” Jaime returned.

I blinked. _“Que?” What?_

“I mean, I’m getting something here and you…aren’t.” Jaime bit his lip. “I’ve gotten my home back, and you…your apartment with your _papa…” Dad._

I ground my teeth. “Look, _Papa_ and I weren’t really on the best of terms, even _before_ the whole Reach thing. And we moved around too much for there to ever really _be_ a permanent home. Hell, _Taos_ was more of a home to me than half of those shitty apartments he got for us. Trust me, I don’t have any real attachment to anywhere. Honestly, the thought of there being a home I can stay in for longer than a few months is…” I considered. “Nice.”

“I…I guess.” Jaime leaned against the counter, glancing at his knees. “I just…I feel so fucking _bad._ For _you_ and for _Bart. I_ at least got a _normal_ childhood. You two…”

“Hey, hey, none of that.” I set the pitcher down with a clink and came to stand in front of him. Jaime was taller than me by a few inches, but bent over the way he was, I was eye-level with his hair. “Don’t feel guilty just because your family didn’t die and you didn’t grow up in a post-apocalyptic future, or you and your _papa_ had a functional relationship and lived in one place. That’s _not_ your fault. Understand?”

Jaime nodded.

“You’re entitled to a good life.” I gathered the taller, muscular boy up in my arms, tucking him in like I did Bart, even though he was bigger than me and Bart only came up to my chin and Jaime’s shoulders. “Don’t let our shitty lives stop you from enjoying yours.”

He chuckled. _“Gracias,_ Ed. I feel a little better now.”

Taking a risk, I pressed a kiss into the side of Jaime’s head. “Hey, Bart isn’t the only one capable of keeping your head above the water.”

Jaime’s breath hitched. _“Mi corazón…” My heart._

My own breath stilled for a minute.

Footsteps sounded and Jaime and I pulled apart as Joan walked into the room. She smiled at us before setting her empty drink glass in the dishwasher and walking back out again.

Jaime flushed. I grinned.

Then Bart came zooming in. “Hey! I just got off the phone with Grandma. She said she’d look into it and call Lois and Clark to help investigate.” He blinked as he came over to grab his own glass. “Did I miss something?”

“No,” Jaime said immediately, his face now beet red.

‘Later,’ I mouthed to Bart when he wasn’t looking.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to go call Tye.” Jaime stood up straight and collected his glass. He grinned sheepishly. “No offense, you guys, but I—”

Bart waved a hand. “Don’t sweat it, _amigo._ Talk to me, talk to Ed, talk to Tye—it’s all crash. Just yell if you need us, got it?”

Jaime nodded and made himself scarce. His face was still red.

Bart turned on me. “What happened?”

“I may _or may not_ have kissed him on the side of the head,” I admitted. “And he called me _mi corazón_—his heart,” I clarified at Bart’s blank look. “And he called you _cariño_—darling.”

“No. Way.” Bart’s mouth was hanging open. “That’s so _crash!”_ He did a dance around the kitchen. “We’re one step closer to turning this twosome into a threesome!”

I shuddered at the thoughts that statement produced. “Maybe don’t say that out loud?”

“Ooh.” Bart grinned cheekily at me. “Is it getting you all worked up, _dulzura?” Sweetheart._

Another shudder ran through my body. “You,” I breathed, “are incredibly sexy when you speak Spanish. And for a fifteen-year-old virgin, you _definitely_ know how to wreck me.”

Bart’s mouth pinched. “I told you, I’m not—”

Reaching over, I placed a finger on Bart’s lips. “Hush. I _do not care_ whatever you think that _bastard_ woman did to you. You are _still_ a virgin in my eyes, and you will _continue_ to be a virgin until the night of your eighteenth birthday. Understand?”

Bart nodded meekly. “Yes.”

Smiling, I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to those beautiful lips. _“Te amo, amorcito.” I love you._

Bart smiled into my mouth. “Love you too, _dulzura.”_

“No smoothing!” Jay called from the dining room.

I sighed.

Someday. Someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)))))))


	48. Since When Is A Free Ride Through College A Bad Thing?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade talks to her husband and thinks her sister's pride is ridiculous (she's being a hypocrite, but that's nothing new).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY SORRY SORRY I MISSED AN UPDATE.

**Jade Nguyen**

“Okay, okay, so this Nightwing did _what?”_ I asked, swirling my straw around my lemonade.

“Yeah, he just _killed_ everything in his path.” Will took a sip of his soda. “It was like watching you or your dad in action, only way more cheerfully.”

I frowned. “So he _likes_ killing, then.”

“Sure seemed like it.” Will frowned at his root beer bottle. “I don’t know, though. Something seemed off about him. Or Donna thought so. So did Mary. They said he felt like Death, whatever that meant.”

I paused. “Death? Are you _positive_ that’s what they said?”

“Yep.” Will raised an eyebrow at me. “Why? What do you know?”

Sighing, I tilted the glass in my hand, watching the ice cubes rock to the side. “Death means a lot of things in the assassin world. It can mean they’ve got a kill list a mile long—like _Bố_ or I—or they’ve made themselves a force of death—like the Shadows or the Assassins—or they’re associated with a being of death—like Lady Shiva was.”

“Hmm.” Will glanced at me. His green eyes were sharp and curious. “And you _still_ don’t know who killed Shiva?”

I shook my head. “The Assassins declined to share that information.”

“Must have been pretty tough to take out a heavy-hitter like Shiva.” Will’s head perked up. “I wonder if the Knights had anything to do with Shiva’s death? I wouldn’t put it past them—_especially _Orphan.”

I took a sip of my lemonade. “Tell me again about her. I’m curious about what kind of training gives a regular human the ability to cripple Superman with one punch.”

Will gave me a hard look. “You’re not thinking of trying to _get_ said training, are you?”

“Oh like you weren’t thinking the same thing,” I scoffed, jabbing him in his chest.

“Well, it _would_ be nice to have the ability to punch Kon in the face—_especially_ when he’s being a smartass.” Will shook his head. “I just don’t know, Jade. It’s a Hell of a situation.”

“Don’t worry about it.” I reached over and placed a hand on his, covering the wedding ring he still wore. “From the sound of it, you don’t have anything to worry about. They seem to like you well enough.” I bit my lip, considering. _“I,_ however, might be in a bit of trouble.”

“True.” Now Will looked legitimately concerned. “They knew a lot about us—Hell, they knew Wally’s damn _name._ I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew about you too.”

“Yes. And since they’re enemies of the Shadows and the Assassins, and I happen to be in _both _of those groups, I’m pretty sure they’d basically kill me on sight.” I laughed humorlessly. “Fantastic.”

“Hey, _hey.”_ Suddenly Will’s hands were clasping mine and he was gazing into my eyes with the ferocity I loved so much. “I won’t let that happen. Neither will Artemis. We’ll protect you, I swear. And if worst comes to worst, we can pull out our secret weapon.”

I blinked. “You have a secret weapon?”

“Yep.” Will grinned. “Lian. They’re defenders of the innocent, remember? Lian should have them wrapped around her pinky finger. They won’t be able to say no to her.”

“Unless they think I’m a threat to her,” I countered.

“But you’re _not,”_ Will insisted. “You’ve refused to train her to fight, and as far as I know you have no intention of doing so!”

He squinted at me. “Do you?”

Without realizing it, I closed my eyes, flashing back to a promise I had sworn to keep to my dying breath hunched under a cooling, still-bleeding body nailed to a wall.

_Catman._

_ Thomas Blake._

_ My baby._

_ Garnet._

_ Gold._

_ Emerald._

“No,” I whispered, opening my eyes. “I will never train our daughter to fight.”

Will frowned, and I _knew_ what was on the tip of his tongue.

Why.

Why?

_Why why why?_

I couldn’t tell him. I could never tell him.

It was part of the reason why I never showed him my body and my scars, why I never let him progress to more than soft kisses.

He thought it was because of how he looked. He couldn’t have been more wrong. In reality, the health and roundness of him was more attractive to me than his chiseled body ever had been and could be.

It was me. _I_ was the monster here. The broken one.

And I’d be damned before I let him see that.

Before Will could open his mouth, I heard Artemis shriek, _“What the fuck?”_

“Language, Aunty Mouse!” Lian chided. She was sitting in the living room watching cartoons. Artemis was working on grading her students’ essays.

I snorted internally. _College._ It was part of the reason I was glad to be an assassin, and in between a stay-at-home mom, though I _did_ help Will out with his company at times.

“Artemis, do I need to get a swear jar?” Will called.

No answer.

“Artemis?” Will and I got up and went to the living room, where Artemis was sitting in the middle of stacks of papers. But instead of looking at that, she was looking at her phone, mouth hanging open.

“What is it?” Will asked, kneeling down by her.

_“Mẹ’s_ apartment has just been bought in my name. _Anonymously.”_ She used air quotes around the word _anonymously._ “And my entire doctorate has been paid off in full.”

For whatever reason, she was frowning.

“Isn’t that…a good thing?” I asked, thoroughly confused.

“I’m going to _kill_ Ollie!” Artemis started thumbing through her phone. “I _told_ him I didn’t want him interfering with my schooling!”

“Hold it. Why is this a _bad_ thing? I would have _killed_ for that kind of money when I was your age.”

Artemis stopped to stare at me.

I winced. “Okay, bad choice of words. But what’s so bad about a little extra help?”

“I don’t _want_ Ollie’s help!” Artemis slammed her thumb down over a contact labeled **Dumbass Uncle** and put him on speaker. “I want to get through college on my _own_ terms! And I _certainly_ don’t need him buying _Mẹ’s_ apartment for me!”

“You’re so weird,” I told her.

_“You’re_ one to talk,” Artemis retorted.

The call went through. “Mayor Queen speaking,” Oliver said in a professional tone of voice. “How can I—?”

_“Ollie,_ you _absolute asshole!”_ Artemis yelled.

“Aunty Mouse!” Lian chided.

“Sorry Lian, but he _deserves it,”_ Artemis growled.

There was static as Oliver sighed. “Arty, I know I shouldn’t have gone through your stash of trick arrows, but I needed some flash bombs to take out Count Vertigo. I’ll pay you back, I swear. I’ve got a couple of shock arrows you can use.

“No, this isn’t about—wait, you _went through my stash?”_ Artemis shrieked.

“Hold up, if that isn’t it, then what’s this about?” Oliver asked hastily.

“I _specifically_ told you not to pay for my education!” Artemis told him angrily. “And I _told you _to put _Mẹ’s_ apartment up for sale!”

“What the Hell are you talking about?” Oliver sounded thoroughly confused. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Oh, don’t play coy with me!” Artemis snapped. “You _know_ what you did!”

“No seriously, I didn’t do anything,” Oliver said again.

A pause.

“So…if I get Raven on the phone, she’ll tell me that you _didn’t_ buy _Mẹ’s_ apartment and pay for the rest of my college?” Artemis asked.

“Yes,” Oliver confirmed.

Artemis blinked, suddenly at a loss for words.

“What’s going on?” Oliver pressed. “Arty?”

“We _may_ have a _slight_ problem on our hands,” Artemis said quietly. “Because if _you_ didn’t do those things, that means _someone else_ did.”

“Wait wait wait. You mean someone actually bought you your mom’s apartment and paid for your college?” Oliver asked. _Now_ he sounded mildly concerned. “Who?”

“Does it sound like I know?” Artemis ran a hand through her hair. “This is just great. Now we’ve got a mystery donor?”

“This needs to be investigated immediately,” Oliver commanded.

“I’m in town for a few days. I’ll take a look into it,” I offered.

There was another pause.

“Oh. Hello, Cheshire,” Oliver sighed. “In town to see the family?”

“Why else would I be here?” I asked dryly.

“Not now, you two,” Artemis ordered. “We’ve got a job to do. Jade, what do you need?”

“A laptop. And some patrol time.”

“I’ll come with you,” Will offered. “I need to stretch my legs some.”

“Neat.” I grabbed Artemis’ shoulder. “Don’t worry. We _will_ get to the bottom of this.”

And _Heaven help_ the poor soul if they thought they could hurt _my_ family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, Jade being a productive member of her family!
> 
> And if anyone can guess who Garnet, Gold, and Emerald are, I will be completely gobsmacked. And I may just give you a multi chapter fix of your OTP if I can wrangle it!


	49. I'm Not Drunk (Damn It)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Courtney doesn't have any alcohol, but she does get some good news.

**Courtney Whitmore**

I groaned as I slammed the cabinet door shut.

“If you are looking for any alcohol, I fear I must inform you that Ted threw it out over a week ago,” Tatsu said quietly as she slid past to the refrigerator. “You will not be able to get drunk that easily.”

“What, I wasn’t going to look?” I stood up and watched as Tatsu grabbed the milk carton. “Come on, you can’t tell me you’ve never gotten the urge to get blackout drunk before?”

Tatsu closed the refrigerator door and looked at me impassively. “No.”

I snorted. “Okay, I call bull. You mean to tell me that when your husband and daughters were killed, you _never_ tried to drink your problems down the drain?”

“No.” Tatsu looked even more commanding than usual. “I got revenge.”

“Of course you did.” I sighed and turned around. “I’m going to go text Billy.”

“You can come to me if you need to talk,” Tatsu called after me as I walked away.

I made the peace sign in return.

I wasn’t _trying_ to be mean to Tatsu and Ted. I knew they were being very nice to me after everything that had happened. _Especially_ since they let me live with them after I was fucking _orphaned._

But inside, I was a mess. I’d just lost my _parents._ My _partner._ My _family._ All to a bunch of _stupid_ aliens.

And now I’d lost more people—Thom and Maxine were some of my best friends, and now they were _gone._ I was still trying to process that one, actually.

Thom and Maxine had been incredible. Maxine was the twin sister I’d never had, and I’d _always_ been able to go to her. Thom was the ultimate wingman—he’d been the one to help me pluck up the courage to ask Billy out.

And now they were all just…just _gone._

_ Fuck,_ I needed a drink.

Or my boyfriend. That worked too.

I closed the door to my room—the guest room in Ted and Tatsu’s house, which was mostly empty save for some of my clothes and my superhero uniform. I hadn’t really had the motivation to unpack it yet—and went for the nightstand, scooping up my phone.

Huh. I’d gotten an email. I’d been expecting a text from Billy. Opening it, I read the subject line—

My phone clattered to the ground. It could have cracked. I didn’t give a shit.

“What…what the…”

I sank to my knees.

_What the fuck?_

_ “What the fuck?”_ I screamed.

Literal _seconds_ later, my door crashed open, revealing Ted holding his cosmic staff. “Courtney, what is it?” he demanded. “Are you all right?”

Tatsu was right behind him, clutching Soultaker in her hands. Her face was tight in that way it got when she meant business.

For a second, I was touched that they cared so much. Then I remembered the email and any and all thoughts slipped from my mind.

“Courtney?” Setting his staff aside, Ted knelt down beside me and grasped my shoulders gently. “Sweetheart, what happened?”

“M-My house,” I managed. Tears were pooling in my eyes. “It’s been bought for me.”

Tatsu blinked. “Beg pardon?”

Wordlessly, I pointed to my phone. Ted scooped it up and read it. His eyes widened.

“Holy fucking mackerel, kid.” He glanced at me. “Is this for real?”

Tatsu leaned over his shoulder to read it. “It says that your family’s house has been…bought in your name?” Her eyebrows shot up. “And that your college education has been paid for?”

I nodded and burst into tears.

Ted pulled me into his embrace, tucking my head beneath his chin. I let him, sobbing into his shirt.

Above me, I heard Tatsu muttering in frantic Japanese, but I barely even knew the basics, so I couldn’t understand jack, especially when she talked so fast.

Ted must have gotten the message, because he said, “Yeah, I know. This needs to be investigated. Go call Iris.”

I assumed Tatsu disappeared—I refused to remove my head from Ted’s shirt. He didn’t protest, simply held me and made soothing noises.

I couldn’t believe it. My _home._ It had been given _back_ to me.

At the time, Ted couldn’t afford to buy another house—he had enough as it was. And Tatsu had next to no financial backing in the US. I’d long since accepted that I would have to watch my home go.

But _now…_

Now someone had given it back to me.

_And_ paid for my college to boot.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered into Ted’s chest. “Who did this?”

“I’m not sure.” Ted’s hand ran up and down my back. “But we’re going to find out, I promise.”

“Good. If this is some sort of sick joke, I’ll beat whoever it is to a pulp,” I muttered. “If it’s real, I’ll kiss whoever’s responsible.”

Ted chuckled. “I doubt Billy would like that.”

“Billy will understand.”

He was a good boyfriend like that.


	50. Our Adoptive Parents Get Us McDonalds (Among Other Things)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy and his siblings get some interesting news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOO 50 CHAPTERS! NEVER THOUGHT I'D MAKE IT THIS FAR BUT HERE WE ARE!

**Billy Batson**

“This fucking sucks,” Freddy muttered beside me as we sat on top of the Hall-Sanders’ home.

“You said it,” Mary said. Darla was tucked under her arm, shaking. She’d just finished another round of crying, and honestly, I couldn’t blame her.

Teth-Adam.

Amon.

Adrianne.

They were just _gone._

Teth-Adam had been like a weird uncle to us ever since he changed sides. And Amon and Adrianne—they were like our cousins. We’d been in touch with them even while they were out in space.

And now they were gone.

Gone gone _gone._

Along with Victor, Rosa, Eugene, and Pedro.

A good two-thirds of our family was _gone._

Who would be next, I wondered, kicking at a shingle absent mindedly. Who would be the next person to die?

Would it be Mary, motherly, intelligent Mary, who had a college education ahead of her?

Would it be Freddy, sharp, clever Freddy, who was living out his dream of working with superheroes?

Would it be Darla, gentle, caring Darla, who only wanted everyone to be happy?

Or would it be me, the outsider who hadn’t even considered himself worth a damn until about five years ago?

_“Fuck,”_ I groaned, flopping back to lie fully against the slanted roof.

I couldn’t die. _None_ of us could die. I wouldn’t let it happen. I _wouldn’t._

I would _not_ let _anyone else_ take my _family_ away from me.

_Never again._

My thoughts wandered to my birth mother. I wondered how she was doing. Had she gotten a better job? Had she gotten away from that jerk of a husband who drank all the time? Did she have another family somewhere? Was she happy?

I hoped she was. Despite all the Hell she’d put me through, I genuinely did want her to be happy.

“Ahem—children?”

Sitting up, I saw Carter and Shiera touching down beside us on the roof.

Darla peered out from under Mary’s arm. Tear tracks still stained her face. “Yes?”

Carter was frowning. “We…we have some news.”

“Let me guess.” Freddy’s tone was bland and brutal. “More people have died?”

“Actually, no.” Shiera held up her phone. “We just got an email…concerning all of you.”

Now they had my curiosity.

“About what?” Mary asked carefully.

“Several things.” Carter cleared his throat. “One, your adoption papers have officially been cleared. You are now our children—legally, that is,” he added hastily.

Smart man. He had to know that no matter what, through no fault of their own, he and Shiera could never replace Victor and Rosa.

I didn’t know anyone that could.

“Two, your family house has officially been bought—” Shiera started.

Darla burst into tears again. Mary pulled her into her arms, stroking her hair softly.

“By who?” Freddy snarled, rising to his feet. “Who are the _fuckers_ who have the _audacity_ to take _our home_ from us?”

“Um…” Carter shifted on his feet. “You.”

I blinked.

Freddy paused. “Come again?”

“Er, yes.” Shiera glanced at her phone. “The house has been bought in your names.”

My jaw was hanging open. _“What?”_

“Yes.” Shiera smiled nervously. “Congratulations. You officially own a house now.”

“What? How are we going to pay for it? We don’t have _jobs,_ let alone credit cards!” Mary cried, sounding _ridiculously_ alarmed. “How are we supposed to do this?”

“Ah, that would bring us to number three.” Carter clasped his hands. “There has been an opening at the Philadelphia Museum of History. It seems they are in need of two new Egyptologists, and Shiera and I were thinking of accepting their offer.”

“That means…” Freddy trailed off.

“We are calling for League backup. In two days, we will move from here to Philadelphia,” Shiera informed us.

“But…but what about me?” Mary asked, her lip wobbling. “I have to go to _school_ here! I can’t just up and leave here!”

“Which brings us to four.” Shiera consulted her phone again. “Your college educations have been paid for in full.”

_“Excuse me?”_ Darla squeaked.

“Yes.” Carter smiled at us. “You all will now have an all-expenses paid college education.”

“But I want to get a doctorate!” Mary gasped. “You _can’t_ be serious.”

“Completely. And five…” Shiera looked at Mary. “A team of teachers from Cal Tech have decided to make a trip to Philadelphia. There they will be instructing a select group of students. You have been chosen as one of those students.”

Mary was shaking all over. “You…you _can’t_ be serious,” she managed.

“We are, my dear,” Carter told her, smiling gently.

We were all quiet for a minute.

Finally, Freddy squawked, _“What the fuck?”_

My thoughts exactly.

Mary turned to face our new legal parents. “This is weird,” she said tremulously. “You _can’t_tell me none of this smells fishy to you?”

“Oh, it does, believe me.” Shiera shook herself, her wings flapping in the wind. “We have called Lois and Iris and Clark to investigate.” She nodded at Mary. “Perhaps _you_ would like to add your expertise? Surely the Wisdom of Solomon would come in handy at a time like this?”

“Er…yes.” Mary nodded, as if in a trance. “Yeah, okay.”

“Excellent. I will let them know that you too are looking into it.” Carter frowned at us. “Are you all doing well?”

Nope. Not in the slightest. This was a fucking buckshot to the head.

“We, um…” Freddy glanced at me. “We’d just…like some time alone. To process things, you know?”

Shiera nodded. “Of course, of course.” She paused. “Lunch is in half an hour. Can we expect to see you there?”

I smiled slightly. They might not have been Victor and Rosa, but they were _trying,_ and I admired them for it.

“Sure,” Darla answered for us. She was still tucked into Mary’s side. “We’ll be there.”

The Thanagarian couple smiled. “Excellent. We will be waiting,” Carter informed us, and with that, they took off, most likely flying back down to the dining room to actually _make_ lunch.

Or order it, rather, because while the two may have been incredible warriors and amazing compatriots, they couldn’t cook for _shit._

Freddy sat back down with a thunk. “Anybody else think this is too good to be true?”

“You said it,” Darla sniffled, wiping her eyes. “Why is this happening to us?”

I shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe the universe felt like being nice for once?”

“Or someone did this for us.” Mary was frowning. “And I’d like to find out who.”

“It could be Ted or Oliver,” Freddy suggested. “They’re both rich enough.”

Darla shook her head. “They would have told us first, don’t you think?”

“Mmm, good point.” Mary bit her lip. “An anonymous benefactor then?”

“Maybe Teth-Adam had some rich friends?” I asked.

_“Please,”_ Freddy snorted. “That guy had exactly ten people who even _remotely_ liked him. Everyone else he knew was dead.”

“And it couldn’t have been Amon and Adrianne—they didn’t know anyone, and besides, they were both orphans.” Mary shook her head. “Goodness, this is _confusing.”_

“You said it,” Darla sighed.

“Anybody else got any suggestions?” I asked.

No one piped up.

“Well great,” Mary sighed. “So we have zero leads. That’s just great.”

“Keep your chin up,” Darla suggested. “There’s got to be _some_ way we can figure this out.”

“Yeah. We just have to _think,”_ Freddy said.

“Agreed.” I settled back down on the roof. “So let’s think.”

We sat there thinking until Carter and Shiera called us down for some McDonalds.

That put a smile on my face.

I liked McDonalds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the Hawks and the Shazams aren't really family but I needed to do something with them, so here we are.


	51. A Wonderful Picnic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The WonderFam™ goes on a picnic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sorry for the pun. I AM sorry for the late update. AO3 was messing with me on Friday.

**Donna Troy**

“Cassandra Elizabeth Sandsmark, I command you to come out of your room and eat something!” Diana said in exasperation.

“You’re not my mom!” came the response.

“You might as well give it up,” Nubia muttered. “She will not come down.”

“She had better,” I grumbled. “I did not waste all that time making that salad for nothing. It is her favorite—I even got her favorite salad dressing.”

“Where, from Wal Mart?” Artemis Grace, or Miss for short, asked snidely.

“No, Greece,” I told her blankly.

“Gods.” Grace spit onto the grass outside of Mount Justice. “This is ridiculous. She raised her voice. “Cassie, we’re taking you out for dinner, you’d _better_ get your ass out here!”

“You can’t make me!” was what she got.

“All right, that does it.” Grace stormed into the mountain.

I sighed. “Five dollars says this ends in a row.”

“Make it ten and Cassie gets dragged out by her hair,” Miss countered.

Sure enough, shouting and scuffling could be heard from inside of the mountain.

Diana slapped her forehead. “This is ridiculous. She _needs_ to _eat.”_

“Objectively, she knows that,” Nubia said. “But she is grieving. Not only for her mother, but for her fallen teammates. I know that Amethyst, Jinny, Greta, and Anita were good friends of hers.”

“As well as many of the others in Young Justice.” Diana shook her head. “This is a nightmare. _Sixty-eight dead._ How many more can we lose?”

“Never ask that, sister,” I told her. “You never want to know that answer.”

Suddenly Grace appeared from the mountain’s entrance, dragging Cassie out with her—by her hair.

I glanced at Miss. “Buy each other a soda?”

Miss shrugged. “Sure.”

“Now come.” Removing Grace’s hand from Cassie’s hair, Diana took Cassie by the shoulders and guided her away from the mountain. “We are going to have a nice dinner and you are going to _like it.”_

“What if I don’t _want_ to like it, Diana?” Cassie grumbled.

“Too bad. I am your mentor—therefore, you must do as I say. And I say that you are going to come with us and enjoy dinner.”

Cassie grumbled, but ultimately subsided as Diana led her toward the hill we had picked for our picnic place.

“Goodness.” I fell into step next to Nubia. “Was I this much of a pain when I was Wonder Girl?”

“Yes,” Nubia said shortly.

“Goddess, what a mood killer,” Miss remarked.

“Oh please, _you_ were even worse,” Diana shot back, forcing a snort out of Cassie.

“What about me?” Grace asked as she examined her sharp nails.

“Out of all of us, I would say you were the easiest to handle,” Nubia admitted.

“Yes!” Grace cheered, punching the air. “Knew it! Suck my dick!”

“What a lovely image,” I deadpanned.

We had reached the hill. It was spacious and free of trees and gave us a good view of Happy Harbor, which seemed to have recovered from the alien attacks from this morning. The sun was casting a sweet pink and orange light across the sparkling ocean. As far as evenings went, it was very pleasant.

If only our day had gone better. Then maybe it would have been more enjoyable.

We all sat around the quilt Diana always took with her whenever we had our Amazon Family Picnics, as Cassie and Grace had dubbed them. Opening the picnic hamper I had set in the center, I passed around bowls and forks before digging out Cassie’s favorite salad and doling out a portion for everyone.

“So, what are we going to talk about, besides the obvious fucking mess that is our life right now?” Cassie asked as she munched on a piece of chicken.

“How about…?” I cast my gaze around and it fell on Grace. “We talk about Grace’s love life?”

“Ooh, yes!” Cassie gasped.

Suddenly all eyes were fixed on Grace, who continued to eat her salad as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

“So, Grace, darling…” Diana’s smile was knowing. “Go on and tell us about the kiss?”

Grace shrugged. “We kissed. What’s to talk about?”

“Well what comes next? Are you dating?” Nubia pressed. “Or was it a spur-of-the-moment pent-up sexual desire type of thing? Because if it was the latter, then I fear I must remind you that you are both, in fact, underage.”

“I know that,” Grace grumbled. “No, we talked about it before she left with Clark and them. We’re going to go out on a couple of dates and see how it goes.”

“Excellent!” I clapped my hands. “How wonderful!”

“I am confused, though.” Miss pointed her fork at her. “How did you know kissing her would not end badly for you?”

“Fucking beats me—I just guessed.” Grace chewed on a piece of egg. “And Spoiler told me it would turn out well.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And you decided to take Spoiler up on her word because…?”

Grace shrugged again. “Orphan said Nat liked me.”

She did not elaborate further.

Diana raised an eyebrow. “That did not answer the question.”

“Apparently Orphan is all-seeing and all-knowing.” Grace licked her lips. “Don’t ask me. I took a risk and it paid off and now I’m just going with the flow.”

“Well good for you.” Nubia smiled at Grace. “I am very proud of you, even if you trusted the opinion of two complete homicidal strangers.”

“Thanks,” Grace grunted.

Diana’s phone buzzed. Plucking it from her pocket, she glanced at it—and her eyes went wide.

I raised an eyebrow. “Sister? Is everything all right?”

“Did…” Diana seemed to be at a loss for words. “Did someone buy us a mansion when I was not looking?”

I frowned. “What need would I have for a mansion? I live in Titans Tower.”

“I’ve got the mountain,” Grace chimed in. Cassie nodded.

Miss shrugged. “I have been staying with Kori as of late, but I did not buy a mansion.”

“Nor did I.” Nubia peered over at Diana’s phone. “Sister, what is going on?”

“Apparently, we have been gifted an all-expenses paid mansion.” Diana’s eyebrows raised. _“And_ Cassie and Grace’s college educations have been paid off in full.”

Cassie choked on a piece of lettuce. _“What?”_

“Huh.” Grace popped her fork into her mouth. “I’m going to college. Neat. No idea what I’ll study, though.”

_“What the fuck?”_ Cassie squawked.

“My thoughts exactly.” I frowned at my sisters. “Does this smell off to you?”

“Indeed, it does.” Diana heaved a sigh. “I suppose I will have to launch an investigation.”

“Good idea. We should contact Clark and Lois and Iris,” Miss suggested. “They should be of some use to us.”

“Yes.” Diana began to stand. “I will go and—”

_“Oh, no you don’t.”_

We all turned to stare at Cassie, who was pointing her fork accusingly at Diana. “You dragged me out of my room to eat a meal on this fucking hill, so that’s what we’re going to do.” She shoved her fork down into her bowl. “Now _sit_ and eat your salad.”

Reluctantly, Diana sat and picked up her bowl and fork.

I smiled.

Despite the concerning situation we were in, it was always nice to see my stubborn sister meet her match.


	52. Txtng th BF

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kon texts Tim and the BatFam™ tries not to lose it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here. Have this.

**Tim Drake**

My phone buzzed in my pocket as I reached for the saltshaker.

“Master Timothy, what have I said about phones at the dinner table?” Alfred sighed as he set his spoon down. We were having gnocchi soup tonight—delicious, delicious.

“I know, I know.” I grabbed my phone anyway. “I kept it on me in case Kon texted or called.”

Suddenly, all conversation at the table halted.

“Well _answer it!”_ Stephanie waved her hand at me. “Go on, lover boy, talk to your strong, handsome BF.”

“Shut up Stephanie,” I muttered, bringing up his text.

**Kon: Yo. Can I troubleshoot a problem with you?**

**TimmyBoy: Sure thing. What can I do you for?**

**Kon: You’re pretty smart, right?**

Dick, who was reading over my shoulder, snorted. “Wow. Did he _seriously_ just say that?”

“Apparently,” I sighed.

**TimmyBoy: I like to think so, yes.**

“Nice answer,” Dick told me.

“Shut up.”

**Kon: Great. Because I’ve got a ** ** _huge_ ** ** problem right now.**

**TimmyBoy: Oh shit. All right, shoot.**

I stared at my phone. “What do you think _that_ means?”

Across from me, Cass shrugged. She was sipping at her chocolate milk.

**Kon: So, I know this is going to sound crazy, but some anonymous hacker raised my parents’ salaries, got my grandpa arrested, gave my mom a mansion, gave my dad his family farm, and paid for all of our college expenses. And whoever they were did the same for a bunch of my friends too. Thoughts?**

I stared at my phone.

“What?” Jason wiped his face with a napkin. “What’d he say?”

I read his text out loud.

There was silence for a minute. Then everyone burst out laughing.

“Jesus Christ!” Helena was bent over, banging her fist onto the table, rattling the candlesticks in the center. “That was _fast.”_

“I _know,_ right!” Kate was cackling. “They sure move quickly in the Justice League!”

“Well what did you expect?” Bruce was guffawing. “They’re not us, but they’re pretty damn good at their jobs.”

“Not to mention they’ve got an investigative journalist and a reporter on their side,” Alfred remarked, also chuckling. “That must count for something.”

“All right, Timmy, respond, quick, before he gets suspicious,” Harper said, pointing at me.

“Roger that.”

**TimmyBoy: Sounds like an interesting problem you’re having. You wouldn’t happen to have a sugar daddy, would you?**

That set everybody off again.

_“A sugar daddy!”_ Barbara howled. “Tim, you _genius!”_

“Technically, if he dates you, he _will_ have a sugar daddy,” Damian pointed out.

I cocked my head. The thought had some merit.

“Keep going, keep going!” Claire motioned at me with her spoon.

**Kon: I was being serious.**

**TimmyBoy: So was I.**

**Kon: Oh. Well no, we don’t have a sugar daddy. Any other suggestions?**

**TimmyBoy: Well have you tried tracking the messages? That’d be the easiest way to find out whoever it’s coming from.**

**Kon: We’re doing that now.**

**TimmyBoy: Good. Unfortunately, that’s all I can do to help you for now. Unless you get an IP address, you’re pretty much banging your head on a brick wall.**

**Kon: Oh.**

**TimmyBoy: Sorry.**

**Timmy Boy: Anything else I can do?**

**Kon: Um, could you call me? I need to talk.**

Alfred caught my eye and shook his head.

I sighed.

But rules are rules are rules are rules and blah blah blah.

**TimmyBoy: I’m finishing up dinner. Give me five?**

**Kon: Sure. Talk soon?**

**TimmyBoy: You got it, hot stuff.**

Now _that_ made half of them to flat-out _cry._

_“Hot stuff!”_ Jason shrieked. “Dios _mio,_ Timbo, how cliché can you _get?”_

“Shut up,” I grumbled.

“If you’re all done with that, I believe it is time to clear the table.” Alfred stood up. “Bring your plates to the kitchen.”

In our household, the kitchen work was divided between male and female. The men cooked, because Alfred, and the women cleaned, because they liked the girl time. Basically, everyone won.

I slid my plate into the dishwasher and practically bolted upstairs to my room, closing and locking the door before Kon’s contact name lit up on my phone.

Swiping the answer button, I grinned as I held the phone to my ear. “Hey there. So, what’s on your mind?”

“A lot,” Kon groaned. “How much time you got?”

“How much time _you_ got?” I countered.

“Fair enough.” Kon blew out a breath. “So, want to hear about how I suddenly acquired a new adoptive brother this morning?”

Ah. _Laney._

“Sure.” I flopped down on my unmade bed. “Tell me all about it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	53. Oh Good, More Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet starts off the day with a kiss, pancakes, and another emergency meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY I MISSED AN UPDATE STUFF HAPPENED AND I LOST MY SHIT.

**Violet Harper**

When I woke up, my neck was at a crooked angle.

Blinking, I wondered if I had broken it again before I realized that my pillow was moving and I heard soft snoring. Lifting my head, I saw Brion leaning back against the couch we were sitting on, his head lolling back. I had been sleeping on his shoulder.

Glancing around, I saw Tara and Connor Hawke sleeping on the opposite end of the couch. Tara was tucked under Connor’s arm and Connor’s chin was on top of her head.

I smiled. Those two were so cute together. Much like me and Brion.

We were in the screening room of the Markovian palace. The last thing I had remembered, we had been watching old reruns of Hello Megan! I liked it well enough, but I personally did not see why M’gann was so taken with it. It was a good show, but not quite as impactful on me as it had clearly been on her.

A soft moan drew my attention to Connor, who was blinking at me with wide green eyes. “What’d I miss?” he asked.

“We finished the show.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. “And it is now eight o’clock in the morning, so I suppose we should wake up now.”

“Fair point.” Connor gently shook Tara. “Tara. It’s time to wake up.”

“No, go away,” Tara mumbled, curling closer to Connor. “Five more minutes.”

I laughed. “Tara, I think it best you wake up. You do not want Brion to see you cuddling Connor like that.”

“What!” Tara shot up faster than one of my energy blasts. “I am awake, I am awake!”

“Good.” Connor yawned, stretching. “Then we can go and get breakfast. I could always go for some more of your chef’s pancakes.”

“He is very skilled in the kitchen,” I agreed.

“In that case, you best wake Brion,” Tara suggested to me. “He will not want to miss out on pancakes.” Her smile turned sly. “Or you.”

I flushed but turned to touch Brion’s face. “Brion, Brion, it is time to wake up.

“No, go away,” he muttered. “Five more minutes,”

I chuckled. Like brother like sister, it seemed.

“We are going to get pancakes, brother,” Tara cajoled. “Time to wake up!”

“Pretty please?” I tried.

“Only if I get a kiss,” Brion said.

Giggling, I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his rough, chapped lips.

“All right, all right.” Brion cracked his eyes open and sat up, stretching. “I am up. Let us go and get some pancakes.”

“Yay!” Connor bounded from the room, leaving the rest of us in his dust.

“Sap,” Tara teased her brother.

“Maybe so, but you love me anyway.” Brion smiled at Tara, then at me. “Come, to the kitchen!”

Connor was already tucking into a stack of pancakes when we got to the kitchen. The main chef smiled at us all and set three plates full of pancakes drizzled in maple syrup in front of us.

“So, what is on the agenda today?” I asked, taking a bite out of my pancakes.

“Um…” Tara squinted. “There is a meeting with the Prime Minister this afternoon to go over the country’s interest rates. Oh, and we have lunch with Perdita at noon.”

“I do not like the Prime Minister,” Brion grumbled into his food. “He always looks down on us.” He perked up. “But Perdita is always pleasant company. I wonder how she and Garfield are getting along?”

“Pretty well, from what I’ve heard.” Connor paused, a forkful of pancakes halfway to his mouth. “He’s been basically inconsolable ever since the death of the Doom Patrol, but she’s been helping him through it.” He chuckled. “Though I _did_ hear through the grapevine that they had a small PDA incident with Kori the other day.”

I frowned. “PDA?”

“Public Displays of Affection,” Brion explained. “But the bad kind, the kind that people do not want to see.”

I shuddered. “Why do it in public at all? I thought those things were meant to be private?”

“They are.” Brion stared down at his pancakes. “Some people prefer to exhibit themselves in that fashion. I honestly do not see the appeal.”

“Perhaps it is a marking ritual of some sort?” Tara mused. “A claiming, if you will. They want the world to know that this person is theirs and vice versa. I see nothing wrong with that.”

“Well sure, so long as it doesn’t verge on inappropriate territory,” Connor agreed. “Like, kissing and stuff like that is okay, but the hands stay up and the clothes stay on.”

“Agreed.” I toasted him with my fork.

We were almost finished with our pancakes.

“Violet? Um, would you like to help me pick out my outfit for the meeting today?” Tara asked hesitantly.

I beamed. “Of course! I would be happy to!”

Tara smiled back. “Excellent, because you seem to know clothes better than I do. Remember that day I walked out of my room with two different stockings?”

“That wasn’t so bad,” Connor protested.

“It was right before a meeting with the High Chamberlain!” Tara gasped. “Could you _imagine_what he would have said if he saw me like that?”

Oh, I could imagine plenty, and none of it good.

“It would be very rude of him to comment on your attire,” Brion pointed out.

“Not to mention inappropriate,” Connor muttered.

“Very true,” I agreed.

The watch that was actually a communicator on Connor’s wrist buzzed. Smile fading, Connor held it up to his mouth. “You’ve got Gold Arrow.”

“This is Green Arrow,” said Oliver gruffly. “The League is holding a meeting in the Hall of Justice today. We need everyone here in the next fifteen minutes.”

“On it.” Connor glanced guiltily at us. “Looks like you’ll have to postpone that clothing session.”

“Do not worry,” Tara said grimly. “We will have time for it later.”

Hopefully.

I walked out of my room, pulling on my fingerless gloves.

Tara came walking up to me, adjusting her headpiece. “You know, I think I want something shorter than this,” she remarked. “Something with short sleeves, or maybe shorter pants.”

“Mmm. That would look very good on you. Not that you do not look good now,” I added hastily.

“It is all right,” Tara told me. “I get it.”

“Thank you.” I eyed my outfit as well. “I am starting to think I want an outfit change as well. I do not think I like this form-fitting suit very much anymore.”

“You do look uncomfortable,” Tara noted. “Beautiful, but uncomfortable. Perhaps we can ask for a different outfit for you?”

“That would be nice,” I agreed.

We walked down the hallway to Connor’s room, where we would meet the boys.

“Do you think Brion will be displeased if I change my outfit?” I asked worriedly.

“Of course not!” Tara gasped. “My brother could not be displeased with a single thing you do!”

“Are you sure?” I pressed.

Tara nodded. “Certainly.”

We walked in silence for a few minutes.

“He wants you to rule by his side, you know,” Tara said quietly.

I looked over at her. “What?”

“Yes. He told me the other day. He would like you to be his sovereign.” I was glad that she did not say queen. “He loves you very much, you know.”

“I know.” I smiled fondly. “I love him very much too.” My stomach twisted with anxiety. “But I do not think I am ready for sovereignty just yet.”

“Oh no, definitely not! You have not even started the proper Markovian courting rituals!”

I blinked. “The proper Markovian what?”

Before Tara could answer, we came across the boys, who were waiting outside of Connor’s room. Connor looked very professional in his uniform, and Brion looked as handsome as ever. I smiled at him and wondered what it would be like to rule at his side.

“Good, you’re both here,” Connor said as we stepped up. “Violet, if you would?”

I nodded and focused my power.

The indigo boom tube powered up and Connor and Tara stepped through it.

“After you,” I told Brion, smiling.

He grinned back. “Thank you.”

I followed him through and we stepped out of the Markovian palace and into the Hall of Justice.

Everyone was there, and I meant _everyone,_ from Lois Lane to—

_“Assassin!”_ I shrieked, flying up on instinct. _“Shadow!”_

“Where?” Brion and Tara took defensive positions. “Where?” Brion demanded.

But Connor relaxed. “It’s okay,” he said gently to us. “It’s just Jade. She’s neutral.”

“But she kills people,” I said as I floated down. “For money.”

“Yeah, not so much anymore,” the woman called Jade said, coming up to us. “I’m weaning off that now. Too messy. I’m sticking to recon for a while. It’s been a while since I’ve tested my skills in the spying field, and if I’m honest, I need the practice.”

“Delightful,” Brion muttered.

“It’s fine, you guys.” Artemis came up to us. “This is my sister, Jade. Remember?”

“Oh!” I gasped. “Oh oh oh! You are Lian’s mother, correct?”

Jade smiled—I think. It was hard to tell with the mask on. “That’d be me. I was in town and thought I’d stop by to help with this…mess.”

I blinked. “What mess?”

“That’s why we’re here.” Clark floated above everyone else, clapping his hands. “Everyone take a seat—or find a seat, rather. It’s time for the meeting to start.”

I followed Brion, Tara, Connor, and Artemis over toward a group of chairs, where we all sat. Brion held my hand. I smiled at that.

Lois stepped up. “All right, people, we’ve closed the Hall for the day so we can talk about this privately, _without_ constant supervision by the media.”

“Why are we meeting in the Hall?” Tara whispered to Artemis. “Why not in the Watchtower?”

“Jade’s not allowed in the Watchtower,” Artemis hissed back. “And we want to include her since she’s helping us.”

“As some of you know, yesterday a few of us received various anonymous emails giving us money and homes that we previously thought inaccessible to us,” Lois continued. “We’re here to report our findings and try and figure out who might have done this. We’re not leaving this room unless it’s to eat, drink, use the restroom, or until we’ve figured this out. Understood?”

We all nodded or made noises of assent.

“Excellent. I’ll go first.” Lois took a deep breath. “I traced the IP address of the emails back to a company called _Mumtaz_ Corporations.” _Super._

“Well, that doesn’t match with my findings at all.” Iris stood up. “I traced mine back to a laboratory corporation.” She rattled off a name that made no sense to my ears. _Speed._

“I got a company called _Saighead_ Industries,” Jade reported. _Arrow._

“So did I,” Mary agreed.

“And I found a company called _Maravilha_ Incorporated,” Diana finished. _Wonder._

“Well, _that’s_ not confusing _at all,”_ Oliver grumbled. “What does it all mean?”

“Is it not obvious?”

Everyone turned to look at Tara, who was standing up now. “These are all…how do you say…dummy corporations.”

Clark raised an eyebrow. “How do you figure?”

“Easy.” Tara began to count off her fingers. _“Mumtaz_ is Arabic for super. The second one is Romani for speed. _Saighead_ is Scots-Gaelic for arrow. And _Maravilha_ is Portuguese for wonder. This is a trick.”

Connor was looking at her with admiration in his eyes.

Barry whistled. “Well there you go. Good job, Tara.”

Tara flushed and sat back down.

“So if these are all dummy corporations, then who’s actually calling the shots?” Clark asked.

“It can’t be the Shadows or the Assassins,” Jade chimed in. “Otherwise I would have been in the loop. Or forbidden from coming at all.”

“Not Shadows or Assassins…_wait!”_ Arthur’s head jerked up. _“What if it’s a metahuman trafficking system again?”_

Brion, Tara, and I stiffened. Dolphin screamed. Virgil, Ed, Tye, and Asami began to tremble. A lot of others started to panic.

“Do you really think it could be traffickers again?” I asked Artemis under my breath.

“Could be.” Artemis shrugged. “Who knows?”

“Where did you learn all those words?” Connor asked Tara.

Tara shrugged. “I wrote down a list of superhero names in as many languages as I could think of and memorized them.”

We all stared at her.

“What?” Tara turned even brighter red. “I was bored.”

“That’s _amazing,”_ Connor told her.

Tara grinned.

“We may need to cancel our meeting with the Prime Minister,” Brion murmured. “I think we are going to be here a while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here guys, have some nice Briolet. Hope you enjoyed!


	54. Fuck, They Killed More People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artur was extremely bored. Not anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY. THE PAST WEEK WAS A REALLY BAD ONE FOR ME. BUT I AM GETTING BETTER NOW I PROMISE.
> 
> ALSO I'M NINETEEN NOW!

**Artur Curry Jr.**

All right, enough was enough.

We had started the meeting at eight thirty in the morning.

It was now nine at night.

_And._

_ We._

_ Were._

_ Still._

_ Here._

Glancing around the room, I saw Father and Mother arguing with Clark and Barry over something. Garth was conversing with the Titans. Tula and La’gaan were consoling a sobbing Dolphin in the corner. Wyynde and Kaldur were having a heated debate with Jade. Cal and Sha’lain’a were chattering away with Lois and Iris.

I was getting _really_ fucking bored.

Sighing, I instinctively searched the room for Lian, the one person I _knew_ I could commiserate with. Surely she was just as bored as I was.

I found her sitting in a chair beside Traya. Both girls were frowning at Lian’s phone.

“So subtle, Artur.”

I glanced over to see Cissie grinning at me.

“Shut up,” I muttered, moving away to go stand next to Lian. With a thrill, I noticed she was wearing the necklace I had given her.

“Greetings,” I said quietly, trying not to be rude but also wanting to announce my presence. “Is something wrong?”

“Captain Cold is in Gotham City,” Lian said.

“Beg pardon?” I leaned over to take a look at the phone screen.

Sure enough, there was Captain Cold, shooting his freeze rays at everyone in sight.

“What’s he doing in Gotham?” Traya asked. “Isn’t he one of Barry’s enemies?”

“Good question.” Lian frowned. “Should we tell someone?”

“Probably.” I raised my voice. “Pardon, Barry? Captain Cold is in Gotham City.”

_“What,”_ Barry groaned. “Come _on,_ don’t we have enough going on?”

“Barry, relax, he’s in Gotham,” Roy said offhandedly.

Will blinked. “Um, Roy, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Do we not have new friends in Gotham City?” Kori asked, combing her fingers through her hair. “Perhaps they will take care of him.”

“Hello Megan!” Gods, I hated that catchphrase. “Why did I not think of that?” M’gann cried. “They will be sure to bring him to jail!”

“Turn on the news!” Father prompted.

Victor pulled up the big screen, showing the many people being frozen to death by Captain Cold. The video was obviously being live streamed from someone’s phone. Screams were echoing in the background over Cold’s voice.

“Come out!” he bellowed. “Come out, Knights! If you are as worthy as the League _claims_ you to be, then you should be able to come out and face me!”

“Oh joy, he’s egging them on,” Traya muttered. “This should end well.”

“Is he crazy?” Lian asked. “He _knows_ he’s going to jail, right?”

“It must not have occurred to him,” I offered.

Lian nodded. “True.”

Passersby were running away, screaming their heads off while they tried to dodge the blasts from the freeze ray.

“Cowards!” Freeze cried. “You will come out now, or I will freeze _every single person in this—!”_

An earsplitting _bang_ deafened the crowd and I watched, shocked, as captain Cold fell to his knees, then onto his face.

_There was a bullet hole in the middle of his head._

“Kids, _don’t look!”_ Lois shrieked.

But it was too late. Everyone had seen.

Instinctively, I reached down and grabbed Lian’s shoulders. “Lian, look away,” I said gently. “Do not look.”

“Wow,” Lian said quietly. “That was fast.”

“Lian, do not look.”

She did not listen, just kept staring at the screen, which had now turned to a shadowy figure on top of a nearby roof. Before the camera could get a good focus on the figure, it turned away and walked off.

Red Hood, if my suspicions were correct.

“Lian.” Taking a risk, I grabbed her chin and tilted it up toward me. “Do not look,” I told her.

She nodded.

She was so close. Her face was _so close._ Those beautiful black eyes were _so close._

If I leaned forward, only a little, I could—

Footsteps sounded, and I stepped back as both Will and Jade surrounded their daughter, firing away questions at a hundred miles per hour. I let them do their job, internally berating myself for what I had almost done.

I was a fool. An utter _fool._ And probably something of a cradle snatcher, if I was being honest. She was _five years_ younger than me. It would not be right for me to take her youth from her. And to steal her first kiss…

Besides, she did not love me.

She would never love me.

That was the fact that I had to accept, though it would be the hardest task of my life.

Someone’s hand squeezed my shoulder and I looked over to see Traya smiling sadly at me.

‘Sorry,’ she mouthed.

I smiled back weakly, gratefully.

_“What_ the _Hell_ was that guy _thinking?”_ Oliver squawked as he stared at the screen. “He just _shot a man on live television! In front of CHILDREN!”_

“Somehow, I do not think the children will be complaining,” Artemis Grace muttered.

Roy shrugged. “Whelp, that’s Red Hood for you. He cuts straight to the point.”

Oliver pointed a shaking finger at Roy. _“You_ need to have a talk with your _new friend_ about appropriate actions while _on live TV!”_

“All right, first of all, I do not think we can place the blame squarely on them for this,” Dinah interjected.

Oliver rounded on her. “_How so?”_

Dinah shrugged. “Well, we kind of revealed their existence to the world in general on live TV this morning, not to mention to the other forms of media. This was _bound_ to happen at some point.”

“At some point,” Oliver repeated.

Dinah nodded. “Right. Second, what did you expect? This is what they do. They _kill people. _And you can’t say that Cold didn’t have it coming. He _did_ kind of kill dozens of people.”

Oliver grumbled but ultimately subsided.

I turned back to Lian, who was sitting quietly while her parents stood over her looking worried.

“Lian?” Taking a risk, I moved around to kneel in front of her, grasping one trembling knee. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.” She nodded, but I saw her chin wobble, just a little bit. “I’ll be fine.”

“And on that note, I think that’s enough for tonight.” Clark flew up again, raising his voice so that the whole room could hear him. “Everyone can go home. We all need some sleep—among other things,” he added, glancing at Jon, who was clutching his mother, looking totally shocked.

I stepped away from Lian and let her parents take her out of the room toward Violet, who was opening up a Boom Tube for them.

A hand gripped my shoulder. Glancing up, I saw my mother smiling sadly at me.

“Come, Artur,” she told me softly. “Let us go home.”

I nodded and followed her toward the Zeta Tube—but not before glancing after Lian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artur is whipped and I'm not sorry.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	55. Hello, Welcome To The Gotham City Knights Assassination Hotline, May I Take Your Order? Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tye learns how easy it is to order a hit on someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part one of three.

**Tye Longshadow**

I stared at my phone, biting my lip.

“You sure about this, _hermano?”_ Jaime asked. He and Ed, Virgil, and Asami were all crowded onto my bed at Mount Justice. “You know you don’t have to do this.” _Brother._

“I know.” I glanced up at him. “But I want to—I _need_ to do this. I _need_ this. If I can’t do it myself, then I want it done by someone I can trust.”

Ed raised an eyebrow. “And you trust a crazy mass-murdering vigilante who you just met?”

“You’ve seen what they’ve done, you know the people they’ve killed.” I pushed a few strands of hair out of my face. “They have honor. And I can’t…I can’t stand living like this, _knowing_ that he’s out there, any longer. I _need_ this.”

“You realize that once you do this, there’s no going back,” Virgil pointed out. “You can’t undo this.”

“I know, I know.” I looked back at my phone, at the contact information Spoiler had given me—us—before she’d left. “And I’m okay with it.”

Asami placed her cool hands on my shoulder and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. _“Hitsuyôna koto o shite kudasai,”_ she told me. _Do what you must._

I took a deep breath and hit the call button.

One ring, two, then a click. “You’ve got Spoiler. Got to say, Ginormica, didn’t think you’d call so soon,” Spoiler said in that sly, sarcastic voice of hers.

“Ginormica?” I blinked. “Who’s that?”

“It’s your nickname, dum-dum. Now spill. Why’d you call?”

I looked around the room at my friends. “I need…someone taken care of.”

A pause. “Oh really.” Spoiler didn’t sound surprised, just mildly amused. “You’ve got my attention. Who’s the mark?”

“His name is Maurice Bodaway,” I told her. “He’s a tall Apache man, long black hair, tan skin, earrings, black eyes. He lives in a house on Sam Houston Street, 304, I think.”

“Neat. What’d he do?” Spoiler asked, though I had the sneaking suspicion she already knew.

“He…killed my mom and grandpa. Two years ago.” I gritted my teeth against the images of my mom and grandpa, shot through the heads. “He never got caught for it. He’s walking free and out there and _I want you to murder him.”_

Asami leaned her head on my shoulder. Ed and Virgil squeezed my knees. Jaime patted my foot, a sad smile on his face.

“Ooh, a murderer.” Spoiler sounded…_excited,_ almost. “You got it. Any specifics?”

I did a double take. “What?”

“How do you want him murdered?” Spoiler enunciated slowly.

“You mean…what is this, a fucking _menu?”_ I asked, startled.

“Our kills aren’t justice, they’re revenge. They’re _symbolic._ They _mean something._ When we kill, we kill to make a _point._ So I will ask _again,_ how do you want him murdered?”

I looked around at my friends, all who looked as disturbed as I was.

“Um…” I bit my lip again, considering. “Just…make sure he gets shot in the head. Do what you want, but at some point, shoot him in the head.”

“You got it, boss. Anything else?”

“No, that’s it. Um…I can pay you…” I stumbled over my words. “I mean, I don’t have much, but…”

“Dude.” Now Spoiler sounded offended. “This isn’t a drug deal. We don’t accept payments for this kind of thing. You want him dead, he’s dead. Nothing else to it. You feel me?”

“Yes.” I exhaled harshly. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. You sure about this?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Got it. He’ll be dead in the next twenty-four hours. Until then.”

She hung up.

I stared at my phone in total shock.

_I’d just ordered a hit on someone._

_ I’d just told an assassin to kill someone._

_ Maurice would finally die._

“Well, scratch _that_ off the bucket list,” Virgil muttered. “Now what?”

“Now we wait, I guess,” Ed said.

Asami nodded, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.

I swallowed.

What the fuck had just happened?


	56. Hello, Welcome To The Gotham City Knights Assassination Hotline, May I Take Your Order? Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perdita learns how easy it is to call a hit out on someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of 3.

**Perdita Vlatavan**

“Love you, bye.” I hung up and set my phone down on the bed, staring at it.

Did I really want to do this?

There would be no going back if I did, but…

It needed to be done.

Grabbing my phone, I typed in the number Batwing had slipped me before he left with the rest of the Knights and waited.

My phone rang twice before he picked up. “Batwing. What can I do for you, your Majesty?”

“You do not have to call me that,” I told him.

“You’re royalty, I’m not, and we barely know each other. Plus, you’re entitled to respect for your position.”

“Please do not call me that.” I hung my head. “I do not deserve that title.”

“What makes you say that?” Batwing asked curiously.

I bit my lip. “I…I am about to do something very bad.”

“Is it for the good of your country, or your own wellbeing?”

“Um…both, I suppose.”

“Then it can’t be that bad of a thing, can it?”

“That depends.” I took a deep breath. “I want you to kill my uncle.”

A pause. “Count Vertigo?”

“Yes. I want him dead so he will no longer pose a threat to my country…and, by extension, me.”

“I see.” Batwing hummed thoughtfully. “He’s in Belle Reve Penitentiary, isn’t he?”

“He is.”

“Got it. Anything special you want done to him?”

“No, no, absolutely not! Just…” I swallowed. “Do it quickly, would you?”

“You got it—but are you sure about this? You sound nervous.”

“I am sure. It is just…I have never ordered an assassination before,” I admitted.

“Same as an execution, really—just with different methods. All right. He’ll be dead within twenty-four hours. Until next time, your Majesty.”

He hung up before I could correct him.

I dropped my phone, staring at it in shock.

_What had I just done?_

I snatched up my phone and opened up a contact I knew by heart, tears welling in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks like waterfalls, stinging my skin.

Garfield picked up on the first ring. “Hey babe, what’s up—?”

“Garfield, I have done something _terrible,”_ I sobbed.

And I felt strangely good about it.


	57. Hello, Welcome To The Gotham City Knights Assassination Hotline, May I Take Your Order? Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brion and Tara learn it's easier to ask someone else to kill someone than to actually kill said someone themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 3 of 3.

**Connor Hawke**

“You realize that if you get caught, the League will probably be pretty pissed, right?” I tried for what had to be the ten millionth time—it wasn’t really, but it might as well have been.

“It has to be done.” Brion’s face was stony. “He cannot be allowed to live any longer. He is a threat to our country—and to the people we love,” he added, glancing at Violet and Tara—and me, to my surprise.

“I agree,” Tara said firmly. “If it must be done, this is the way to do it.”

“Violet?” I asked desperately, turning to the quiet person clinging to Brion’s arm. “Your two cents? I know you don’t like killing.”

“You are right, I do not.” Violet bit their lip. “But this…I think this is the right thing to do. Wretched and despicable, maybe, but…someone has to stop his rampage. Stop him from abducting more children like…like me…and Tara…and Brion and…”

They turned away, pressing their face into Brion’s shoulder. Brion pressed a kiss to the top of their hijab.

“All right.” I exhaled harshly. “I guess I can’t talk you out of it.”

“You cannot.” Tara glanced at her brother and her friend. “Brion, how about you take Violet out for a walk in the gardens? I can make the call.”

She’s giving Brion a significantly heavy _look_ while she’s saying this, and I raised an eyebrow.

Brion nodded, smiling gratefully, and _now_ I’m flat-out suspicious, but he was quick to stand up, bringing Violet with him. “Of course. Violet?”

Violet glanced up at him and nodded. Their eyes were a little watery. “Yes. Yes, I like that idea. Can I fly some?”

Brion kissed their cheek this time. “Of course you can.”

They walked out of the living room, leaving Tara and I sitting down on a couch.

Tara pulled out her phone and pulled up the contact information Signal and Gotham Girl had given us before we’d went back to the Watchtower. She bit her lip.

“You okay?” I asked, hoping she was having second thoughts.

“Yes.” She hit the contact.

They picked up after precisely two rings. “You’ve got Signal,” Signal said.

“Gotham Girl,” Gotham Girl piped up. “How might we be of service, your Highness?”

“Please do not call me that,” Tara said quickly. “And I have a request.”

“Uh, okay, but I don’t know how much help we can be,” Signal told her.

“You will be a great help,” Tara assured them. “Have you heard of my uncle Baron Frederick DeLamb?”

“Ah.” Gotham Girl’s voice got real cold real fast. “The famed Baron Bedlam. We’re familiar with him. Let me guess, you want us to kill him?”

“Yes.” Tara looked uncertain for the first time since we’d started this conversation. “I do not know where he is, but—”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll find him and kill him. Any requests?” Gotham Girl asked.

Tara blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Do you want him to die in a specific way?” Signal elaborated. “Do you want us to torture him a little? What _exactly_ do you want done to him?”

My jaw was hanging open.

Was this some sort of fucking _restaurant_ or something? Custom murders tailored for your specific needs? What even _were_ these people?

“Uh…” Tara worried her lower lip. “You can do what you want, but he must have his throat slit. Can you make that happen?”

“Easily. Anything else?”

“I…no. Nothing.”

“Roger that. He’ll be dead in twenty-four hours. _Ciao,_ princess.” _Bye._

Both of them hung up.

“Huh,” I said. “That was easy.”

“Yes.” Tara leaned back on the couch. “I wonder if the Baron found it this easy when he murdered my parents.”

Leaning over, I threw my arm around her, tugging her into a hug. She went willingly, pressing her face into my shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” I told her, rubbing her back as I did so. “Everything will turn out okay.”

I hoped so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, whatever could I be planning?


	58. Your Bride-Price Was Your Wedding Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brion asks Violet a very important question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm weak. That's my only excuse.
> 
> Also, I'm sorry about my absence. Long story short, I slipped into a brief seasonal depression, and my OCD didn't help either. But I'm back now, and I will hopefully be returning to a regular updating schedule.

**Brion Markov**

I smiled as I watched Violet soar through the air, their orange aura shining against the night sky. They did a few twirls, giggling and throwing their arms out in sheer bliss.

Mother of God I loved them. I loved them so much. They were one of the few things in my life I could rely on. They had kept me calm during my banishment from Markovia. They had kept me from killing my uncle that fateful night when we had reconquered Markovia. They had banished the Light agent that came to brainwash me. And they had been by my side ever since, even through the past month, when I had assumed the throne.

I adored them.

And I was ready for the next step.

But…what if they were not?

I could not stop myself from reaching into my pocket and running my fingers over the ring I had hidden there.

Artemis Crock had assured me that Violet would not say no. In fact, when I had offered her the bride-price (keeping with Muslim traditions) she had told me that I would most definitely get a yes.

I desperately hoped she was right.

“Brion?”

Violet floated down to stand in front of me, their orange aura fading away. “Is something wrong?” they asked, a frown creasing their brow. “You seem upset.”

“Nothing is wrong,” I told them, biting my lip. “I am just…nervous.”

“Ah.” They nodded, giving me a quiet smile, the one I loved so much. “I understand—well, I do not, but at the same time I do. You will be a good ruler, Brion, I am sure of it. And you have all the support in the world.”

“I know.” I took their hands in mine. “And I have you. You are the greatest blessing I have ever received, Violet.”

Violet blushed. “Why thank you, Brion.”

“If I may, I would like to show you how much you mean to me.” I got down on one knee and pulled out the ring.

Violet gasped—at the ring or at me, I did not know.

It was a beautiful ring—I had commissioned Jan to make it for me. It was striped with ruby, spessartite garnet, gold, tourmaline, topaz, azurite, and amethyst—all the colors of the rainbow. It was perfect for Violet.

“Please, Violet.” I looked them in their beautiful dark gray eyes. “Marry me. Be my spouse, my sovereign. Rule beside me.”

“I…” Violet swallowed. “I…I want to say yes, believe me, but…”

My heartbeat stuttered. “But?”

“I…as per Muslim customs, a bride-price—”

“I already took care of that,” I assured her. “I offered Artemis Crock a bride-price for your hand.”

“Oh. Oh!” Violet’s eyes lit up. “Then yes, yes!”

My soul seemed to soar. Standing up, I pulled Violet to me, kissing them gently, just the way we both loved. When we pulled away, I slid the ring onto their finger.

“Wait.” Violet suddenly looked troubled. “Children…sex…I do not know if I am ready for that.”

“And you do not have to be,” I told them. “I am willing to wait as long as you want. It is totally up to you. Just so long as I can wake up to your beautiful face every single morning.”

Violet giggled. “I can live with that.”

“Excellent.” I wrapped her in a hug. “Shall we go inform Tara and Connor? I am sure my sister will be most curious as to how this went.”

“Oh, yes!” Violet examined the ring on their finger. “I cannot wait to tell everyone!”

“How about we let everyone sleep?” I suggested. “We will tell them tomorrow—and then we will have to begin the Markovian courting rituals.”

“Tara mentioned those as well.” Violet glanced at me. “What are those?”

I shrugged. “Mostly paperwork.”

“Will…will we be able to have a traditional Muslim wedding, though?” Violet asked, suddenly timid. “I know…I mean, I would very much like that.”

“Of course we can!” I told her. “I would not dream of making you upset at your own wedding!” I paused. “Though, I do hope it is all right that you have seen me prior to the wedding.”

Violet laughed now, light and carefree. “Thank you, Brion. I appreciate that.”

“You are most welcome.” I pressed a kiss to their temple. “Now how about we go and inform Tara and Connor?”

Violet nodded, their orange aura blooming as they floated into the air. “Oh yes, yes! Let us go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes yes, I know, but I love this ship and they're young and in love. Never fear, any sexual activity will happen when both parties are well and ready for it.


	59. Fulfilling The Contract Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie has some fun times with Maurice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for gore.

**Stephanie Brown**

I stared at Maurice.

He slept remarkably well for a murderer.

Seriously, he was snoring up a storm, curled around a full body pillow. I wondered if he was imagining a body next to his, soaking in the warmth from their back.

I imagined that too.

The only difference was that someday I would have that.

He would never feel that again.

He also had a _perfect_ headboard for handcuffing people.

_Excellent._

Slipping through his bedroom window, I slid it shut and approached the bed. Maurice didn’t stir, even when I pulled out my handcuffs.

When he did wake up, I’d already cuffed his hands to the headboard. “What?” he grunted. “Who’s there?”

“Vengeance,” I told him cheerfully as I cuffed one leg.

“What?” He blinked his eyes open and started when he saw me. “Who the fuck are you?” He rattled his handcuffs. “What is this?”

“What part of _vengeance_ did you not understand?” I dodged the kick he aimed at me and pinned his remaining leg down, cuffing it with only a little bit of difficulty. “I’m here on behalf of Shelly and Holling Longshadow.”

“Those two?” He spat over the edge of the bed and I saw red. “They were murdered ages ago. What, you think I did it?”

_“Au contraire,_ my friend. I _know_ you did it.” _On the contrary._

Maurice snorted. “Please, sugar. Not even Shelly’s bitch ass son was able to pin that on me. What makes you think _you_ can?”

“You mean aside from the fact that you just indirectly admitted you did it?” I asked sweetly.

Maurice’s face pinched. “Cunt.”

“I come from a family of ultra-detectives,” I said, deciding to ignore his slur for now. “We’ve had you pinned since it happened. It was only a matter of time before one of us came after you.”

“Your family?” Maurice scoffed. “What are you, the Mafia?”

I snorted. _“Please._ The Mafia _wishes_ it was as cool as us.”

Pulling out my knives, I eyed the man in front of me. “Now, the question is: where do I start?”

I decided to start with his tongue, for the cunt insult.

Also so that no one would hear his cries for help.

They’d probably think the noises were from a stray dog or something.

Let’s see, he needed fingers to pull the trigger on the gun.

Maybe I should cut them off.

He now had no fingers.

Should I break his hands?

I broke his hands.

He didn’t need his ears, did he?

Hmm, what to do now?

I’d brought my pistol to shoot him in the head, as Ginormica had requested.

Maybe I’d shoot his dick off?

Man, I’d forgotten how satisfying it was to blow a dude’s cock off.

Let’s see what I can do to his elbows.

His elbows were gone.

Knees next?

Knees next.

One last thing before I shot him.

I’d looked up the Mescalero Apache word for murderer before I’d Zeta Tubed here.

Should I carve it on his face?

I carved it on his face.

And I pressed the barrel of the gun right to his forehead.

_Bang._

Goodbye, Maurice.

I stood back and examined my handiwork.

Not bad, not bad.

And no one would be able to trace it back to me.

_Or_ Ginormica.

Ah, the joys of being a mass-murdering vigilante.

Pulling the window open, I slipped out, easing it shut behind me before tapping the comm lodged in my ear.

“Yo, Spoiler to Red Robin. I’m done. Zeta Tubing back now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	60. Fulfilling The Contract Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke is really, really, really fucking bored. He also kills Vertigo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mental illness is kicking my ass, which is why I'm seventeen chapters ahead and am skipping days. Fuck me.

**Luke Fox**

“Jesus Christ, I hate this uniform,” I grumbled, tugging on the sleeve.

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Nightwing said over the comm. “How close are you?”

“To the end of my shift or to Vertigo’s cell?”

“Yes?”

Smartass. “I’ve got ten minutes left and I’m two cells away.”

“You got the poison ready?”

“Yep.”

“Cool. Nightwing out.”

The line went dead and I was once again on my own.

For the “most secure compound in the US,” Belle Reve was surprisingly easy to infiltrate. All I’d had to do was knock out a guard and use one of Thanatos’ handy-dandy glamor charms to take his place. Then, and this was the lame part, I went on duty for eight hours, which brought me to now.

God, this blows.

I was twelve feet away from Vertigo’s cell.

“Nightwing,” I hissed. “You got the cameras?”

“Yeah. You’re clear.”

“Cool. Thanks.” I stopped in front of Vertigo’s cell. “Vertigo,” I addressed him. “You jerking off in there?”

“Ha ha, hilarious,” the disgraced count said from his bed. “Did you think of that one yourself?”

“No.” Positioning the dart gun, I primed it, aiming it right for the open sliver of his neck. “But it gets on your nerves, so why waste a good opportunity?”

“Just you wait until I get out of here,” the count hissed. “I will make you suffer, you can count on that.”

“I’m sure you will.” I fired. The microscopic dart sank into his skin. “Until then, sleep tight.”

I paused. “Oh, and just so you know, Queen Perdita sends her regards.”

Before Vertigo could reply, I walked off.

“Mission accomplished,” I told Nightwing. “I’ll be out of here in six minutes. See you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it was so uneventful, but the warden doesn't know the GCK, so it would have been weirder to draw things out, though it should be noted that the poison causes extreme pain before death.


	61. Fulfilling The Contract Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duke and Claire have some fun with Baron Bedlam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go, the completion.

**Duke Thomas**

“I’ve got eyes on Bedlam,” I announced, eyeing the man as he surveyed a group of teenagers in a holding cell too small for that number of people. “You seeing the teens?”

“Yeah, I see them,” Gotham Girl said over the comm. “Bluebird, you still in camo mode?”

“I’ll drop out of it as soon as you get Bedlam and collect the kids,” Bluebird replied. “I’m guessing you’ll kick the guards first, then deal with Bedlam long-term?”

“That’s the general idea,” I told her.

We were at an abandoned warehouse in Albany, where we’d tracked Bedlam. He was with some of Vertigo’s henchmen, and they were herding the kids into nearby pods—pods that I knew would soon fill with tar.

“Move in—now!” Bluebird yelled.

Taking a running leap, I broke through the warehouse’s window and landed on my feet, somersaulting to compensate for the momentum, then whipped out my axes and struck a defensive position.

Everyone was looking at me—the teens, the henchmen, _and_ Bedlam, who was grinning like a cat with a canary in his mouth.

“Now _you_ I don’t know,” Bedlam purred, stepping closer to me. His unnatural, stone-hard skin gleamed in the moonlight. “But I’m willing to bet you’ll make a great specimen.”

“Really? Well I’ve got tough news for you, buddy. My meta-gene’s already been activated—and I’m more than ready to use it,” I growled.

“Hmm.” Bedlam snapped his fingers. “Boys, if you would.”

The henchmen rushed forward.

I rolled my eyes and muttered, “Go-go ghost vision.”

My vision seemed to shrink, and I saw the particles of light fizz in front of my eyes.

And I knew what I was going to do.

Rushing the first one, I jabbed my axe into his neck and dragged it downward, watching his guts spill on the floor.

The second one threw a punch. Dodging, I flipped my axes up and jabbed him in the eyes, yanking them out and ducking to avoid a high kick from the third one. He got an axe to the chest, striking just deep enough to reach his heart.

That took care of the henchmen. Now for Bedlam.

Said disgraced baron was sneering at me, eyes practically bulging out of his head. “You insolent little brat,” he snarled. “You think you can take me down so easily—?”

The glass skylight shattered and Gotham Girl dropped down onto Bedlam’s shoulders. Before he could react, she snapped an inhibitor collar around his neck, flipping off his back and landing neatly in front of me.

“Well, that was fun,” she told me, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

“You said it,” I agreed.

Bedlam roared in anger, clawing at the collar around his neck. “No! No! No! Not again! I refuse to be beaten by _children!”_

“Teenagers,” Gotham Girl and I said at the same time.

Gotham Girl strode for the holding cell and quickly picked the lock, ushering the silent, confused, horrified teens out of the cell. I ran for the warehouse’s bay doors and threw them open, revealing Bluebird and the Heli-Bat on the pavement outside.

Bluebird stepped out of the Heli-Bat and threw the doors open. “All righty, kids, come on in!” she hollered. “One-way ticket to the NYC Star Labs right here!”

“No!” Bedlam tried to rush forward, but I slammed the handle of my axe into his head and he went down hard.

“They’re being surprisingly compliant,” Gotham Girl remarked, coming to stand beside me, watching as the teens filed onto the Heli-Bat.

“They’re probably scared of us,” I pointed out.

“True.”

“Help me carry Bedlam?”

“Sure.”

We dragged Bedlam, who was predictably heavy, into the holding cell as Bluebird closed the bay doors so we wouldn’t be disturbed. I heard the sounds of her taking off as we nailed Bedlam to the wall.

He woke up while I was pinning his right foot. “What is this?” he bellowed, thrashing. “Let me go!”

“No,” I told him, standing up and stepping back. “Gotham Girl, would you like to do the honors?”

Gotham Girl grinned. “Sure.”

So, turns out his skin wasn’t invincible—at least, not to our knives.

“We should carve something into his skin,” I suggested over Beldam’s agonized howls.

“Good idea—but what?” Gotham Girl mused.

“How about the names of the royal family members?”

“Nice one, Little G.”

“Thanks. You want to give it a go?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

“Hey, you got that mini blowtorch?”

“Right here. What’re you going to do with them?”

“Torch his feet.”

“Nice.”

“Can we light someone’s mouth on fire?”

“Let’s try.”

“Nope.”

“Is tar flammable?”

“Let me look it up.”

“Yes. Yes it is.”

“Cool. Can you get me some?”

“Ouch. That must hurt.”

“Yeah, he’s screaming pretty loudly.”

“Let’s spray some water down his throat and cut his tongue. Then maybe he’ll shut up.”

“Now what?”

“Do we have any acid?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I want to see what it does to his skin.”

“Huh.”

“It’s burning his arm off.”

“At this rate it’ll disintegrate his entire body.”

“Just cut it off.”

“He looks a little weird with just one arm.”

“Should we do the other one? You know, for equality’s sake.”

“Sure, why not?”

“All right, I’m bored. Can we kill him?”

“Sure, but how?”

“Slit his throat.”

Gotham Girl and I were sitting outside of the warehouse when Bluebird landed the Heli-Bat beside us.

“What’s up, sluts?” she asked as we slid inside and closed the hatch behind us.

“Not much.” I claimed the copilot’s seat, earning me a dirty look from Gotham Girl, and buckled in. “What’s up with you, hoe?”

“Eh, same old same old.”

“How were the teens?” Gotham Girl asked, claiming the seat behind me. She yanked her mask off and rubbed at her eyes. “Are they okay?”

“Yeah. None of their meta-genes were activated, so they’re being sent home to their parents.” Bluebird peeled off her own mask as we took off. “How’s Bedlam?”

“Bleeding out,” I told her, removing my helmet. "He lost his feet, his arms, got his mouth lit up, his body carved up, his family’s names gouged onto his chest, and his throat slit.”

Harper whistled. “Nice.”

The radio crackled. “Batman to Bluebird. Do you read me?”

“Loud and clear, Bats,” Harper replied. “What’s up?”

“Report back to the Batcave immediately. We’ve got a situation.”

“What kind of situation?” I asked, tossing my helmet from hand to hand.

“A very strange one.”

Claire, Harper, and I exchanged glances.

This didn’t sound good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They have strong knives. That's my excuse.


	62. Dick Grayson, YOU Are The Father!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick gets two surprises.

**Dick Grayson**

“Nightwing, do you read me?” Delphi said over the comm.

“You bet your bottom dollar.” I landed on the old abandoned warehouse Delphi had sent me to. “Are you in position?”

“Yes. We go in on my mark.”

“Got it.”

There was a momentary pause.

“Now!”

I jumped feet first through the shattered skylight and landed in the warehouse…that was abandoned…

Well.

Huh.

What the Hell?

“Um, Delphi?” I said to the empty air. “Are you _sure_ you read Reach activity in this area?”

A side door clicked open and Delphi ran in, chains in hand. Glancing around, she blinked, slowly slipping out of her defensive position.

“I thought…there was a spike in alien activity in this area,” Delphi said slowly. “What’s going on?”

“You got me.” I looked around, biting my lip. “I don’t understand…why would—?”

Twin wails split the air, sending a chill up my spine.

Pulling out my eskrima sticks, I followed the noise, Delphi right behind me, chain whirling. It was right behind a stack of crates that smelled like marijuana.

“I’ll go first,” I hissed.

Delphi nodded.

I jumped over the crates—

—and immediately threw myself to the side, eskrima sticks flying, to avoid landing on the two naked babies laid out on the floor.

“Nightwing!” Delphi ran over to me as I picked myself up off the ground and retrieved and sheathed my eskrima sticks. “What happened?”

“Them!” Whirling around, I knelt by the two babies, observing them carefully.

One of them was a girl. She had beautiful black hair and dark tan skin—kind of like me. Her eyes, from sclera to pupil, were a bright green.

The other one was a boy. He also had black hair and dark tan skin, again like me, except only his irises were green and he had a small tuft of white hair in the center of his forehead—like Hood and Orphan and Rob.

Both of them were screaming, their faces red. The boy’s entire body was covered in diarrhea and the floor under the girl was wet with urine.

“Jesus Christ!” Delphi gasped.

Kneeling down, I scooped both of them up, disregarding the mess I was probably getting on my uniform, and cradled them to my chest.

The boy stopped crying immediately, looking up at me with those big green eyes. The girl, however, continued to cry.

“Shh,” I cooed. “Hush, hush. It’s all right, little ones. I’ve got you.”

Finally, the girl stopped sobbing. Hiccupping, she curled against my chest, trying to burrow into the warmth of my suit.

It was then that I registered how cold it was outside. Our suits were made with geothermal technology—thank you, Little G—but it was still winter in Gotham, and winters in Gotham were _brutal._

“Delphi, can I see your sash?” I asked.

Nodding, Delphi yanked her sash off and handed it over to me.

“Thanks.” With some struggling, I wrapped both babies in a makeshift carrier, securing it over my shoulder. I still kept my hands on both of them.

The boy whimpered, snuggling up to his sister—they looked alike and I was sure they were related—and I gave them both a bounce, smiling when the boy sighed and the girl hiccupped again.

Something warm was bubbling up in my chest, spilling out in bursts and making me feel more alive than I had in a good long while. It had been ages since I’d felt like this.

I’d felt the same way when every single member of my makeshift, mildly dysfunctional family had come into my life.

“Nightwing.” Delphi’s voice called me back to reality. “We have to get them back to the Batcave for immediate medical attention. Like, right now.”

“Right, right.” Shaking myself, I strode for the exit, making sure not to jostle my precious cargo.

“And let’s maybe take the Batsub? I don’t think backflipping over buildings with two babies strapped to your chest is a good idea.”

“Yeah. Good point.”

Delphi led the way to the Batsub waiting in the harbor. Jumping in, I strapped myself into the shotgun seat, taking care not to jostle the two babies secured against my chest.

Closing the hatch above us, Delphi arranged herself comfortably in her seat and tugged her hood off, glancing over at me with her bright green eyes.

“You’re getting attached, aren’t you,” she said blankly.

I grinned weakly. “Is it obvious?”

“Oh yeah.” Babs grabbed the controls and took us under the water, taking us on a course that would lead us right to the Batcave. “You really think you’re ready for fatherhood?”

“I’ve been a big brother since I was fourteen—nine whole years. I’ve wrangled kids from wild street hoodlums to trained assassins. I think I can handle babies.”

“You _think?”_ Babs sighed. “Dickie, you know I love you. You’re been my brother-at-arms since you were nine and I was ten. We’ve been with each other since you were adopted by Bruce. You’re my partner, my best friend, my fellow homo. I’ve been with you through the average person’s stereotypical version of Hell. I believe in you—always have, always will.”

I blinked. “Does this have a point, or…?”

“Look, I’ve seen you with kids. You’re _great_ with kids. I have no doubt you’ll be great with babies. But…” Babs glanced at me. “I don’t know. Are you _sure_ you’re ready for this?”

“I am,” I told her.

“What about Wally?”

“He’s got—or will have anyway—kids of his own,” I pointed out. “He’ll understand.”

“Okay.” Babs smiled weakly. “Then I trust you. There’s just one question.”

“Being…?”

“How will _Bruce_ react to this?”

“Oh.” I bit my lip, running a hand over the babies’ backs. “Didn’t think of that one. But I’m sure it’ll be fine—the guy’s the _king_ of children. He has one kid, adopted ten more, and is taking care of two others. I think he’ll be okay with it. And if not, Alfred can back me up. He’s basically the same. I mean he took in B, Katie, Bettie, Lina, Luc, Basil Leaf, your dad…”

“I still don’t understand how that works,” Babs mused. “I mean, my dad is eight years younger than Alfred. How could Alfred adopt him?”

“Beats me. You’re fifteen years younger than B, so I guess it isn’t that weird.”

“Meh. I guess you’re right.”

We were approaching the Batcave’s underwater hatch. Babs pressed a button on the control panel and the artificial wall in the side of the cliff slid open. She steered us in.

When the Batsub reached the airlock, I waited until the vehicle was fully docked before carefully climbing out and into the cave proper. The girl was fussing again, and the boy was wiggling like nobody’s business.

“Yo, Nightwing.” Timmy walked over to me, looking up from his phone and doing a double take. “Jesus Christ, what the Hell? What are those?”

“Babies,” I said dryly, removing my mask. “Those are babies, Timmy. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go and tend to said babies. Mind calling the cavalry down here? They may need medical attention—and a DNA test.”

“Right, yeah, okay.” Timmy bolted off toward the cave entrance.

“His reaction bodes well,” Babs remarked, coming to stand next to me. “You want me to help?”

“Sure.”

I led the way to the med bay, where Babs got a basin of warm water going and I grabbed some soap, a few washcloths, towels, and a pack of diapers we kept for emergencies.

Settling them both in the basin, I worked to quickly scrub the messes off of them. The girl started to cry again, whimpering as I ran the washcloth over her stomach.

“Easy, easy,” I crooned. “Everything’s okay. I’m here, I’m here.”

The girl paused, staring up at me with those wide green eyes.

“There we go.” I smiled at her. She made a whining sound and made a grabbing motion for me.

“She likes you,” Babs noted from beside me.

“Well that’s a relief.” Taking a risk, I stuck my tongue out at her. She giggled, clapping her little hands.

The boy whined this time and I turned my attention to him, making funny faces to get him to laugh too as I washed the diarrhea off of him.

“Here, lift them up, would you? I’m going to change the water.” I lifted the babies up so Babs could get some clean water. Both babies scrunched up their faces and wailed, probably cold.

“Shh, shh.” I pulled them close to me, tucking them against me. They quieted, curling as close as they could.

“That is the cutest thing,” Babs told me, returning with warm water. I set the babies back down in the basin and poured some soap into the water, rubbing it over both babies. The boy sighed at the contact. The girl merely stared at me.

“Dick, this had _better_ be good,” Jay grumbled, striding into the med bay. “I was having the _best—Dios mio,_ are those _babies?”_

“My God, _of course_ they’re babies. Is everyone in this family blind?” I grumbled.

“What is this about babies?” Dami and Cass were quick to follow Jay as he came over to examine the basin. “Grayson, where have you acquired babies?” Dami asked, his face pinched. “Please tell me you did not take them from some poor couple.”

“Dams, that’s not how this works,” Jay told him. Dami huffed and turned away.

Cass leaned over the basin. Reaching out, she touched the white streak in the boy’s hair with one finger. “White.”

“Yeah, Cass, white,” Babs agreed.

Suddenly Cass went pale as a sheet. _“Lazarus Pit?”_

Jay and Dami tensed.

“No, absolutely not!” I gasped. “They haven’t been in the Lazarus Pit, guys, I _swear.”_

“But hair!” Cass whimpered. “And eyes!”

“They’re not crazy, Cass,” Babs soothed, reaching over to rub Cass’ shoulder. “See? They’re perfectly normal babies.”

Cass nodded, but she still looked shaky.

B came striding in, followed by Katie and Alf. “What’s going on in here? Dick, why did you call us down?”

I stepped away so that Bruce could see inside of the basin.

“Oh my…” Katie clapped a hand to her forehead. “Bruce, your son’s following in your footsteps. He’s adopting kids.”

“Or abducting them,” Dami muttered.

“We found them in an abandoned warehouse,” I explained, pulling the now clean babies out of the basin so Babs could take it away. Laying them out on a towel, I fitted them both with diapers—thankfully they fit—and picked them up again, cradling them against my chest. “I want to take care of them.”

“Of course you do.” B gave me a conspiring grin. “You’re my son.”

“We also need a DNA test,” Babs added. “Just to be on the safe side. Alfred, if you could…?”

“Of course.” Alfred came over and neatly plucked a hair from both of their heads, causing them to squirm in discomfort. I quickly bounced them, murmuring words of comfort, and they settled down.

“I’ll get you some blankets for them.” Jay disappeared, probably to go get out emergency stash of baby blankets.

“Yo, I’m back.” Lukie strode into the med bay, passing Alf and B as they left the med bay, the former probably to do that DNA test and the latter to contact the remaining members of our family. “What’s…good…?” He trailed off when he saw the babies I was holding. “Mother of God, where do you _get_ this many children?” he asked B.

“These are mine, actually,” I told him.

“Great, it’s genetic.” Lukie shoved his hands into his sweatshirt pockets. “What’re their names?”

Huh. Now _there_ was a good question. “No idea,” I said. “Maybe once we get that DNA test done, I’ll figure something out.”

“See? See see _see?”_ Timmy stormed into the med bay, Steph and Lena in tow. “I _told_ you he brought babies into the Batcave.”

“Babies?” Steph rushed forward, gasping when she saw the two babies cradled in my arms. “Oh, they’re _adorable!”_

“That they are.” Jay came back with two baby blankets, one purple and one white. I wrapped the girl in the purple one and the boy in the white one. Both made pleased noises and burrowed deeper into the confines of their blankets.

“What are their names?” Steph asked excitedly. “Are you keeping them? Where did you get them? Whose kids are they?”

“I haven’t named them yet, I don’t know but I hope so, we found them in an abandoned warehouse, and Alf’s going to figure that out,” I fired off, grinning at her enthusiasm.

“Master Richard,” Alf called. “I have the DNA test results, and I think you’ll want to hear this.”

We all migrated out of the med bay and into the lab, where B was already waiting with Alf. A screen was pulled up with what looked like two different types of DNA helixes on it—human and…something else.

“I have identified the parentage of these two children,” Alf said. “Both we know. The mother is a Tamaranian—Koriand’r, to be precise.”

My heart sank.

Koriand’r…was their mother?

Jay rested a hand on my shoulder, squeezing tightly. Babs gave me a sad look.

If Koriand’r was the mother, then…she would most likely want to keep them.

But since when was Koriand’r pregnant? I’d seen her two days ago and she looked completely fine.

And wasn’t she a lesbian anyway?

And if she was the mother, why would she have abandoned them in the first place?

“Who’s the father?” Lukie asked. “I’d like to see the guy who knocked up a Tamaranian.”

“Er, that person was…” Alf glanced at me. “You.”

My whole world screeched to a halt.

_Me?_

_ I_ was the father?

Wait a minute…

“That…Alf, that’s got to be wrong,” I got out. “I never slept with Koriand’r.”

“That’s just it, Dick.” B was frowning. “We know. And I think that these babies are the product of the Reach. It is the only possible explanation that makes sense.”

“Damned bugs,” Lukie muttered. “How’d they even get a piece of Dick’s DNA anyway?”

“One of them might have snagged it while we were fighting them and sent it over to their scientists,” Babs suggested. “Then they could have made the clones.”

“In two days,” Steph said flatly.

“It took sixteen weeks for Kon to be fully grown,” Timmy pointed out. “If they were made in two days it would explain why they look about a month old.”

“That it would.” Jay blew out a frustrated breath. “I hate to say it, but we should probably contact Koriand’r and let her know—”

_“I know,”_ I got out through gritted teeth.

“Dickie, we have to let her know. And who knows? Maybe she’ll be willing to agree to joint custody,” Steph said.

“Maybe,” I mumbled, squeezing the babies—_my_ babies—tighter to my chest.

“Here, I’ll do it in the same room.” Jay pulled out his Red Hood phone and scrolled through his contacts.

“Wait wait wait—will we have to reveal our secret identities?” Dami asked.

Cass shook her head. “No. If we play it right, no.”

“Cool. Hang tight.” Jay held his phone up to his ear.

It rang twice before Koriand’r picked up.

“Starfire? Yeah, it’s Hood. Sorry. Yeah, I know I woke you up, but this is important,” Jay drawled, his usual accent gone.

I bowed my head. Tears were beginning to pool in my eyes.

I didn’t want to let go of my babies.

I wouldn’t.

I _couldn’t._

“We found two new Reach clones. Babies. Yeah. No—yes, there’s a reason I’m telling you! _They have half of your DNA!”_ Jay snapped.

Mother of God, _please_ don’t let her take my babies from me…

She had a right to them, of course she did, and I would never keep a mother from her children, but…

I couldn’t bear not having them in my life.

“You don’t want them?”

My head jerked up.

_What?_

_ “What!”_ Babs whisper-yelled.

“But…you don’t think you’ll be a good mother. Mm hmm. Okay. You don’t want to try? All right, only if you’re sure…” Jay trailed off. “The father? Yeah, Dick Grayson. I know you didn’t have sex with him. They’re Reach clones. Yep, I understand. He’s the first one we contacted. Yes, he wants them. Uh huh. Okay then. You sure? All right. Night.”

He hung up and turned to me. “Congrats, Dickie, you now have sole custody of your children.”

I was smiling so hard I swore my face would crack in half.

“Names?” Cass prompted.

“Oh! Yes, they’ll need names!” I looked down at my daughter—_my daughter._ “I want to name her Mary, after my mom. But…”

““But” what?” Lukie asked.

“I know!” I smiled at my daughter. “I’ll call her Mar’i—the Tamaranian version of Mary!”

“Pretty _and_ culturally appropriate.” Dami nodded. “I approve. But what about the boy?”

Babs glanced at me. “I remember you being partial to the name Jacob when we talked about baby names all those years ago.”

“You’re right.” I beamed at _my son._ “We’ll call him Jake.”

“Yeah! Mar’i and Jake Grayson!” Katie cheered.

B smiled at me. “I like it.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I told him.

“Yo, we’re here,” Harps said as she, Dukie, and Clairie marched into the lab. “What’s the big situation?”

I turned to them. “Meet my children—Mar’i and Jacob Grayson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Babies!
> 
> You'll have to forgive Kori—she's still working through some things (to be explored later) and doesn't feel like she'd be the best mother at the present time. She also doesn't want kids right now.


	63. Good News Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of 5.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of exciting news coming!

**Cissie King-Jones**

I was making my bed/sleeping bag on Arty’s bedroom floor when my phone rang.

Grumbling, I threw my pillow into place before picking up my phone. It was from Oliver. Accepting the call, I held it up to my ear. “Yo, Ollie. What’s the deal?”

“The League has called an emergency meeting on the Watchtower,” Ollie said brusquely. “Everyone has to come.”

“Everyone?” I repeated.

_“Everyone,_ Cissie,” Ollie told me sternly.

Fucking a. I sighed. “All right, fine. Give me a minute to suit up and I’ll be there.”

“See you in a minute.” Ollie hung up just as Arty walked into the room.

“Who was that?” she asked, running a comb through her hair.

“Ollie. There’s an emergency JL meeting and _everyone_ has to go.”

Arty sighed. “Damn it, and here I was looking forward to a day off. All right, let’s suit up.”

“What do you mean _suit up?”_ Mia poked her head into the room. “I thought we were having a chill day?”

“Emergency Justice League meeting,” Arty explained.

“Well fuck. That’s one way to ruin a morning.” Mia ducked back out. “Will! Lian! Suit up! There’s an emergency JL meeting!”

I heard both father and daughter groan.

“Wait, where’s Jade?” I asked as Mia closed the door and we all grabbed our suits.

Arty sighed. “She left again. Some Shadows mission. I don’t know. I’ve given up trying to figure out where she goes.”

She really did look like she’d given up. I reached over with my ungloved hand and squeezed her shoulder in unreliable female family members solidarity. She grinned at me.

We finished dressing up and went down to the basement where Lian and Will were already waiting, both looking annoyed.

“Where are we headed, the Watchtower, the Hall, or Mount Justice?” Will asked.

“The Watchtower,” I told him, adjusting my bow over my shoulder.

“Well, at least we’re going somewhere cool,” Lian muttered as Will typed in the coordinates and stepped through the Zeta Tube. We all followed, emerging in the central chamber of the Watchtower, where everyone else was standing, most of them looking majorly annoyed.

“Good, everyone’s here.” Clark cleared his throat. “We’re here to discuss something that occurred last night, something that is absolutely disgusting and that goes against the morals of the League.”

I blinked. What could that have been?

“What thing?” Violet asked. They sounded confused—and worried.

“You should know, you were a part of it,” Ollie said, casting them a look.

“No, no wait—I consented, I swear!” Violet held their hands up. “And Brion offered Artemis a bride price, and we are not too young!”

“Wait, time out.” Dinah squinted at Violet. “What are you talking about?”

Brion stepped forward and took Violet’s hand in between his own. “We…last night, I proposed,” he said nervously. “Violet and I are…engaged.”

There was silence for about three seconds.

Then several people screamed.

“Oh my God, my babies are getting married!” Arty squealed.

“Excellent!” Forager clicked. “Two drones in Forager’s hive are mating! Soon Forager will have new drones to look after!”

Tara and Connor Hawke were dancing around with each other in celebration. I grinned at that, and at the fact that my sort of kind of maybe cousin was holding hands with his crush.

“We’ve got to start planning your wedding!” Darla said excitedly.

“We are having a Muslim wedding,” Brion and Violet said at once.

“Oh. Okay!” Darla nodded. “You’ll have to tell me how that works so I can help you plan it!”

“Booyah!” Victor declared.

“Um, is anyone concerned about the thing we’re here to talk to you about?” Ollie yelled over everyone.

I rolled my eyes.

Killjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Killjoy Part 1 of 5.


	64. Good News Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carter and Shiera share their good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whaaat? An update on a Friday? For the first time in a month? It's a miracle!

**Shiera Hall-Sanders**

“Do you think now would be a good time to tell them our own news?” I asked Carter as Oliver started to yell over everyone.

“It cannot hurt,” Carter agreed before raising his voice. “We have some news as well.”

“Really? Now?” Oliver rounded on us. “We’ve got a serious problem right now!”

“What is it?” Diana asked over Oliver. “What is your news?”

Carter clasped my hand over my stomach. “I am with child,” I told everyone, beaming.

“Oh my gosh oh my gosh _oh my gosh!”_ Darla shrieked, flying forward to wrap us both in a hug. “Congratulations!”

“That’s _wonderful!”_ Mary cried. She flew to our side and patted my stomach. “How _exciting!”_

“By the gods!” Diana clapped her hands. “How long have you known?”

“We found out last night,” I explained. “We wanted to tell you all—if this meeting had not been called, we would have insisted on it just so we could let you all know.”

“This is _so exciting!”_ Freddy grinned at us. “And hey, if you need name suggestions, I’m your man.”

Billy was staring at us blankly. I suddenly felt nervous.

“Billy?” Carter’s voice was soft, uncertain. “Are you all right?”

The boy was quiet for a minute before he cracked a smile. “I always wanted a kid brother to look after,” he said shyly.

I smiled at him. “Thank you, Billy.”

“Technically _I’m_ your kid brother,” Freddy pointed out.

“You’re seven months younger, that hardly counts,” Billy told him.

Freddy stuck his tongue out at him, and I giggled.

I was glad that my family would grow even larger now.

“Um, can we get back to the business at hand?” Oliver yelled.

I sighed.

I loved Oliver, but he could be such a killjoy sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've been on my Tumblr, you'll know who the baby is. For those of you who don't, Shiera's pregnant with Hector Hall-Sanders, her in-canon baby with Carter from Earth-2. Also Killjoy Part 2 of 5.


	65. Good News Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zatanna and Raquel share their good news.

**Zatanna Zatara**

Raquel, bless her, rolled her eyes at Oliver. “Kind of rude to yell at people, you know,” she told him. “Especially people who just stole our thunder.”

“Beg your pardon?” Diana raised her eyebrow. “What do you mean _stole your thunder?”_

Amistad, bless him, jumped over. “Mom’s pregnant!”

_“What!”_ Arty shrieked.

“Yep!” I patted my stomach. “Two weeks along!”

M’gann screamed and suddenly I was being hugged by both her and Arty, my two friends squealing in my ears.

Dad and Auggie were smiling. I knew they would both congratulate me later, in private.

“Congratulations!” I heard Kaldur say, no doubt hugging Raquel. “This is wonderful news!”

“Dude, you’re going to be an older brother!” Jan cheered, probably high-fiving Amistad. “That’s awesome!”

“This is _so exciting!”_ M’gann shrieked.

“WE HAVE BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO!” Oliver thundered.

“Quit being a killjoy, Ollie,” Raquel shot at him.

I laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who haven't been to my Tumblr, Zatanna's pregnant with Zachary Zatara. In New and Prime Earth, he's her cousin. In another universe, he's her son by John Constantine. Obviously I am going with the latter interpretation. Raquel is the father. How? Temporary magical sex change. Boom. Also Killjoy Part 3 of 5.


	66. Good News Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris shares her good news.

**Hal Jordan**

“God, all these people getting pregnant!” Barry remarked, grinning. “Who’s next?”

Iris raised a hand. “I am, actually.”

“I swear I was kidding,” Barry said, raising his hands in the air.

“Wait a minute.” I stared at Iris. “You’re pregnant?”

Iris grinned. “Guilty. And _not_ with twins this time. I checked.”

“Oh my _gosh!”_ Dawn squealed. “We’re going to be older siblings, Don!”

“This’ll be _awesome!”_ Don hooted.

Barry and I launched forward at the same time and kissed Iris. “This is wonderful,” I told her, beaming. “This is so exciting.”

“Thanks, babe,” Barry said, nuzzling her neck.

_“Seriously,”_ Oliver groaned. “We have an _issue_ here!”

“Ollie, I love you, but you’re being a real killjoy here,” I snapped at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did steal that line from Young Justice.
> 
> Also, for those of you who haven't been on my Tumblr, Iris is pregnant with Nora Carol Allen. I had to include Nora with the twins somewhere.
> 
> Also Killjoy Part 4 of 5.


	67. Good News Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tatsu and Ted share their good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one, I swear.

**Tatsu Yamashiro**

I stepped forward, raising my hand up. “I am also with child.”

Ted nodded, grasping my shoulder. “That she is.”

Everyone stared at us.

I ducked my head. “Just to let you know.”

Courtney squealed and leaped forward to hug me. “Congratulations! This is so cool! You’ll name her after me, right?”

“No promises,” Ted told her. Courtney stuck her tongue out at him.

Asami came over and bowed to me. _“Omedetô,”_ she said softly. _“Kami ga anata to anata no kodomo o shukufuku yo shimasu yô ni.” Congratulations. May the gods bless you and your child._

_ “Arigatôgonzaimashita,”_ I replied. _Thank you._

Asami smiled.

_“CAN WE FUCKING FOCUS!”_ Oliver howled.

I rolled my eyes. What was the word the others had used? Ah, yes.

Killjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don't know, Tatsu is pregnant with Theodosia Knight. I had to include the name Theodosia in there somewhere, it's one of my favorite names. Also Killjoy Part 5 of 5.


	68. Idle Gossip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire and Barbara have a chat.

**Claire Clover**

“You see the news?”

“Yep. Maurice found butchered in his home, Vertigo found dead in his cell, Bedlam found slaughtered in a warehouse. Neat stuff.”

“Any suspects?”

“On Maurice, no. But anyone from Vlatava and Markov is suspect—even the royal families.”

“You’ve erased any evidence?”

“Yep. There was absolutely nothing linking us to the murders—Queen Perdita and the Markovs are clean too.”

“Neat. Does the League know?”

“Probably. I mean, it’s all over the news—well, Vertigo and Bedlam. Maurice is small news, but it’ll probably catch their attention anyway.”

“You think they’re going to call us up?”

“Probably. But we were only doing our jobs, so they shouldn’t be too pissed.”

“One can only hope. Thanks, Babs.”

“No problem, Clairie.”


	69. It Wasn't Fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie has a rough night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A TWO WEEK HIATUS?
> 
> Sorry guys, I did NOT intend for that to happen.
> 
> Anyway here, have this.

**Stephanie Brown**

It wasn’t fair.

I was cuddled in between Tim and Helena on my king-sized bed, bundled up in every fluffy blanket I owned—six of them, all in different shades of purple. Soft violin music was playing in the background. Both Tim and Helena were asleep, worn out from last night’s patrol.

This was my happy space. This was where I went when I needed comfort. It wasn’t working tonight.

It wasn’t fair.

I squeezed my eyes shut in anticipation of more tears. But there were none. I was all dried up.

The memory of those two beautiful babies lying in Dick’s arms…

It wasn’t fair.

I choked back a sob.

Dick had what I had dreamed of, what I had always wanted. He’d received the gift I’d been denied over two years ago. He, by the strangest luck in the universe, had been given his children.

It wasn’t fair.

I shuddered with the force of my silent sobs and Tim cuddled closer, nuzzling my neck sleepily.

My baby had been dead for over two years, her remains fixed in the bracelet I never took off of my wrist. I’d lost her before I’d ever even gotten the chance to hear her cry, to hold her, to look into her sweet eyes.

It wasn’t fair.

I wasn’t mad at Dick. I was happy for him. He’d always dreamed of having a family—a dream we both shared. And now he had one, two little children all to himself. And I would have them too—be the Auntie Steph they deserved.

But that would never make up for the gaping hole in my chest where my own daughter should have been.

It wasn’t fair.

I bit back a scream.

None of it was fair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I will return to my regular updating schedule.


	70. Kowai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami is afraid of Batman. That is all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am lazy. That is my excuse.

**Asami Koizumi**

I sighed and held Tye’s hand tightly in mine.

All these people getting married, having kids…

It made me think of my own future family.

Preferably with Tye.

Hopefully with Tye.

Tye smiled at me. I smiled back.

_Definitely_ with Tye.

“So, are we just going to ignore the _FUCKING MURDERS_ of some of our worst enemies, or is this just sharing hour?”

I blinked. Our worst enemies?

Who could that be?

“Hold up, people _died?”_ Chris looked horrified. “Who died?”

“Oh, no one special.” Clark pulled up three images. “Just Maurice Bodaway, Count Vertigo, and Baron Bedlam.”

Maurice was dead?

Wow. That was fast.

I looked at the three images.

It seemed Tye was not the only one with bad _kazoku. Family._

The first was Maurice—what was left of him, anyway, and wow. These Knights did not mess around. He had been shot, as promised.

He had also been…_tosatsu sa reta._ No. What was the word in English? Ah yes. _Butchered._ He had been butchered. _Butchered._

Count Vertigo looked mostly fine, except his skin was a sour white and blood was streaming from his eyes.

Baron Bedlam was similarly butchered, even with his rock-hard skin. They had slit his throat. Interesting.

“So they’re all dead.” Garfield shoved his hands in his pockets. “What, do you want us to find out who did it?”

“We already know who did it and why,” Clark said solemnly.

Uh oh.

Beside me, Tye flinched.

“Who did it?” Kara asked.

“The Knights, obviously.”

I felt relieved. At least they did not know.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Bart said, scratching his head very fast. “They must have wanted them out of the way for some reason.”

“They killed them because people here _asked them to,”_ Oliver got out through ground teeth.

_Kuso. Fuck._

“Please!” Mia Dearden tossed her hair. “Who here would be stupid enough to call hits out on those fuckers?”

_“Hmm.”_ Oliver threw a pointed look at Tye, then Perdita, then Brion and Tara. “I don’t know, you four, who here _would_ be stupid enough to call hits out on those fuckers?”

“It was necessary,” Perdita said stiffly.

I blinked.

Perdita had asked the Knights to kill Vertigo.

_Kami ni yotte. By the gods._

“It was within our rights to declare him dead,” Brion snapped.

“He needed to be stopped, and if that meant killing him, then so be it,” Tara said, her voice like iron.

Brion and Tara too?

_Kami ni yotte._

This was becoming a…a _keikô._ A trend. _Trend._

“Hey, Maurice needed to be brought to justice!” Tye snarled. I squeezed his hand in silent support. “No one else was doing anything about it, so I asked them too!”

“Rao damn me.” Clark rubbed his forehead. “Look, this was a mistake on all of your parts.”

“I think it was awesome,” Laney piped up.

“Shut up!” Kara snarled.

“Let us be perfectly clear,” J’onn spoke up. “This will not be happening again. We will see to that personally.”

“What’re you going to do? Police us twenty-four/seven? That won’t cut it,” Tye shot at the Martian.

“Not the plan.” Clark pressed a button. “We’re going to give Batman a call and see if we can work this situation out personally.”

Batman?

I shivered.

_Kowai. Scary._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh!


	71. Slipping Into The Hole In My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce gets called up to the Watchtower.

**Bruce Wayne**

“How’s the crib coming?” I asked Luke.

“Great!” Luke replied. “I just have one more nail and we’re done!”

“Not to be that person, but are you sure having them share a crib is a good idea? I mean, if they’re anything like Brucie and I, they’ll want their space,” Kate pointed out. I nodded in agreement.

“That’s why we got an _extra_ extra-large crib, and two separate blankets to boot,” Dick called. He was seated on his bed with Stephanie, where the two were feeding Mar’i and Jake. “That way they can cuddle if they want to and have some space if they need it.”

“This is _so cool!”_ Stephanie squealed, pressing a finger to Mar’i’s nose. “Dickie, you’re a dad!”

“I _know!”_ Dick squealed back.

I had to turn away from the two to hide the sad expression on my face.

I knew about Stephanie’s breakdown last night/this morning. Hell, I’d predicted it. I’d seen the look in her eyes when she saw Dick with his two children. She was remembering her own daughter, the remains of whom were still fixed in her bracelet.

I couldn’t say I blamed her. If I’d lost a child, especially to a miscarriage after months spent looking forward to becoming a parent…I shuddered.

I wouldn’t want to imagine the pain of that.

I heard giggling coming from the other side of the room from where I was setting up the changing station and glanced over. Jason and Cassandra and Damian were chatting while they reorganized Dick’s dresser, shifting all of his socks in with his underwear and his tights in with his leotards to make room for Mar’i and Jake’s baby clothes. Jason was mussing up Damian’s hair and Damian was saying something to Cassandra, who was laughing at whatever was coming out of his mouth.

Kate nudged me with her elbow. “They look happy.”

I nodded in agreement. “That they do.”

“That’s good. Maybe Mar’i and Jake will be good for them too,” Kate mused. “Might help them be happy more often.”

“I’m not so sure about that. You know how Damian gets around little kids,” I reminded her. “Not to mention Jason and Cassandra. This might stress them out.”

“I actually agree with Mistress Katherine,” Alfred remarked as he set the diapers into the appropriate drawer in the changing station. “This might help ease their fears about small children, and the fact that they have supervision might be useful too. Remember what it did for you, Mistress Katherine?”

I couldn’t hold back my smile at the memory.

After Bette’s mother had died in childbirth and her father had committed suicide, Bette had been given to Uncle Philip’s care (thank _God_ she had been too young for him to take advantage of. Thank _God)._ Uncle Philip wasn’t one for childcare (another blessing) so he handed her off to Alfred. Alfred had had the grand idea to put Bette in Kate’s room so Kate could keep an eye on her.

Kate had been terrified at first. How the Hell was she supposed to look after a child? She was _ten!_ But she quickly grew to adore Bette. Sometimes when I snuck into Kate’s room after a night of nightmares or Uncle Philip’s visits, I found her cuddling up with Bette in the _bed_ instead of her crib. Dangerous, and Alfred would have had her head if he found out, but I couldn’t stop myself from joining in, making a Bette sandwich.

Closing my eyes, I bit my lip.

I missed Bette sandwiches.

My communicator buzzed at my waist.

Fuck.

The Justice League was calling.

Everyone stopped talking. Even Mar’i and Jake stopped sucking at their bottles, as if they sensed the importance of this call.

Grabbing my communicator, I pressed the button and held it to my ear. “Speak,” I growled in Batman’s dark, unaccented tone.

“This is Superman,” Superman said, his voice stormy. “Report to the Watchtower immediately. We need to talk.”

“I’ll be there in five minutes.” I hung up and glanced at everyone. “Superman has called me. I’m guessing it has to do with last night’s murders.”

“Well shit, that was fast.” Luke set his hammer down, sucking on his bottom lip. “What’re you going to do?”

“I suppose I’ll have to go and talk to them.” I sighed. “Pity. And today was supposed to be a good day.”

“Want me to come with?” Kate offered. “I can help.”

I snorted. “Please. You just want an excuse to ogle Diana in all her muscular glory.”

_“Bruce!_ How _dare_ you!” Kate gasped and swatted at me. I dashed out of the room, laughing, noting that she didn’t deny it.

I stepped out of the Zeta Tube into the Watchtower to feel Green Arrow’s furious glare hitting me right in the chest. Zatara didn’t look too happy either. Come to think of it, neither did any of them, with the possible exception of some of the younger members—and the guilty parties, of course.

Superman looked particularly disappointed. His lower lip was sticking out in a not-quite pout, something I had down in my files as one of his tells for displeasure. It didn’t affect me as much as I hoped it would.

Superman.

Clark Kent.

My soulmate.

Once again, I searched the bowels of my soul for even a scrap of romantic affection for him.

Once again, I found nothing.

I hadn’t discovered my sexuality until I was twenty-eight. I’d slept my way through half of Gotham by the time I was twenty-five—I stopped when I adopted Dick, since I wanted to set a good example from that point on, and also because I was losing my Goddamn mind. I’d used erectile dysfunction pills to give my hormones a boost because I just couldn’t feel arousal. At the time, I’d thought something was horribly wrong with me.

At first I’d thought it was because of Uncle Philip that I couldn’t feel sexual arousal—but that wasn’t right. Kate had gone through the same things I did, and she had absolutely _no_ problems with having sex—she was as promiscuous as me before Renée happened.

I’d had experience with the LGBTQ+ society, of course—literally ninety percent of my family was non-heterosexual in some way at the time—and that was _before_ I came to terms with my own sexuality. I’d just never thought it would apply to me.

Around the time I stopped having sex, I developed a massive crush on my best friend at the time—Harvey Dent. We’d been friends for years—since our freshman year in high school. We were both fifteen. Even when I was training abroad, I sent him postcards. We celebrated birthdays with each other. I almost—_almost_—told him my secret identity.

This completely threw me for a loop, because what the Hell? After two and a half decades of nothing, suddenly this? Was I undergoing a second puberty? Was this my sexual awakening? What the legitimate fuck was going on with me?

It was Alfred who helped me realize what I was. After a rather intense wet dream in which Harvey was doing rather nice things with his mouth, I ran to Alfred in complete hysterics. After he calmed me down, he suggested that maybe we talk to Dr. Thompkins, one of Alfred’s old friends who’d helped him come to terms with his own sexuality.

So we went to her and explained my situation. Dr. Thompkins did some research and declared me demisexual. In other words, I only experienced romantic and sexual attraction after becoming friends with someone.

That was one of the happiest days of my life, right up there with the death of Uncle Philip and the day I adopted Dick and the days my godchildren were born. I burst into tears then and there.

I didn’t make it a point to announce my sexuality to the world—it was none of their business and besides, I wasn’t necessarily ready to officially come out of the closet in public yet. I figured I’d tell everyone when I started to seriously date someone.

I’d wanted that someone to be Harvey. Unfortunately, the next day when I went to confess to him, a now-dead crime boss poured acid on half of his face and drove Harvey insane. He became the criminal Two-Face and went on a mass-murdering spree—of all the wrong people.

I tried locking him up in Arkham first because damn my soft heart, but then he instituted a mass breakout and killed the entire staff—_including_ Dr. Leland, one of my other close friends. He then killed Dr. Thompkins as well as Kate’s fiancée Renée Montoya. Only then had I been able to put him out of his misery.

I’d insisted on being the one to do it. I loved him too much to allow someone else to do it. And if I’d whispered a confession of love to him before I shot him with his own gun, that was something Kate and Alfred and I never spoke of.

That was the last time I’d ever loved someone like that. And the last time I would ever let my heart come before a mission.

Eight years later, Jason and Cassandra and Damian would come back from the League of Assassins with the knowledge that would shatter my mind: Clark Kent, Superman himself, was my soulmate.

Ever since then, despite the fact that I _knew_ it wouldn’t work, I tried to fall in love with him from a distance. I watched him on the news, hoping for a spark of attraction. Nothing. I tried to write him a letter expressing my affection for him. Nothing. I tried taking myself in hand and thinking of him in all his naked glory. Nothing nothing fucking _nothing._

It drove me to tears some nights that my soul mate was _so close. So close_ and yet I couldn’t love him. Not yet, anyway. And even if I _did_ get to know him, there was no guarantee that I would love him or that he would love me or that I would love him before he found someone else.

Sometimes I really fucking hated myself.

Tearing my eyes away from Superman, I focused on Green Arrow’s furious glare. I’d felt it before, of course, in his persona of Oliver Queen—usually after I made some quip that he didn’t like or when Kate and Dinah pretended to flirt with each other. It didn’t frighten me then.

It didn’t frighten me now.

“What,” I said flatly.

“We have a problem,” Zatara told me, his face grim.

“Do we now.” I pretended to examine my glove. “Make it quick. I _do_ have other things to do.” Namely spend time with my granddaughter and grandson.

“Fine,” Green Arrow growled. “We’ll cut to the chase—_your_ subordinates took _contracts_ from _our_ children! And _minors_ at that!”

I rolled my eyes.

_Tipesh._

“We take contracts from children, you know.” I rubbed my thumb along my forefinger in a show of deliberate disinterest. “I’m sure Tigress and Miss Martian can attest to that—or did they not tell you about the whole bat-outside-the-window thing? And to be clear, they aren’t my _subordinates_—they’re my _partners.”_

Red Arrow flinched.

I held back a smirk.

Consider _that_ nerve _touched._

“Listen here, you little shit,” Green Arrow growled.

“I’m taller than you,” I pointed out.

“Let’s make a deal. You will _never_ take a contract from any of our minors again or face our wrath. Got it?” Green Arrow snarled. He even had the nerve to point one of his fingers at me like I was a naughty child he was scolding.

I made a show of tilting my head to the side and biting my lip in consideration.

Then I looked Green Arrow right in his damningly irritable face and said, “No.”

The ripple of shock that swept the Watchtower’s entrance room was palpable.

“I’m sorry, I must have misheard you. _What was that?”_ Green Arrow asked, his voice disturbingly calm.

If I’d been a lesser man, I would have cowered.

But I was no lesser man.

I was Bruce Wayne, the Batman, the Dark Knight, the scourge of Gotham’s underworld, and I bowed to _no one._

Except Alfred.

“I said _no.”_ I made sure to enunciate the word _extra slowly_ so he got the message. “Do I need to speak more slowly for you? Are you having trouble understanding me?”

Green Arrow drew his fist back.

I sighed.

_Tipesh._

Grabbing his wrist, I twisted his hand and yanked.

All of my teachers had taught me that you needed little muscle to control a fight, though it helped on occasion, and also helped you _appear_ deadly. It also made you look damn good, but that was another story. The point was that you could take control of a fight with the simplest of movements.

Like this wrist lock that was currently making Green Arrow yelp with discomfort.

_“Ow!_ Let _go,_ you _prick!”_ Green Arrow howled. He shoved at me. I didn’t budge. Oliver may have had the arm strength of an archer, but even that had nothing on a body that had been on Venom.

_God._

I had to repress a shudder.

_Venom—_

“Enough! Stand down, both of you!” Superman ordered. “Let him go, Batman. Stand down, Green Arrow.”

I released Green Arrow and barely noticed him backing away, my thoughts still focused on the memory of unyielding strength within me, the adrenaline flowing through my veins, the heady rush that went straight to my head.

_God._

I missed Venom.

Even though I had only been on it for seven months, the feelings it produced was…

_Insane._

_ Incredible._

_ Irreplaceable._

Was that what it felt like to be God?

Shit, I was slipping.

Whirling around, I made my way to the Zeta Tube.

“Hold on! We aren’t done here!” Captain Atom called after me.

“Really. Because I am.” I typed my coordinates in, then glanced behind me.

“We will always help whoever needs it, regardless of who they are, and that _includes_ your children. Sorry, not sorry.”

I stepped through the Zeta Tube before anyone could protest.

“Well there you are,” Kate said, looking up from where she was flopped on Alfred’s bed, reading a book. “What happened?”

“I need help,” I croaked. “Venom.”

Instantly, Kate and Alfred were wrapped around me, guiding me to the bed so I could lie sandwiched between them. A Bruce sandwich.

At least I could still have a Bruce sandwich.

“Easy, my boy,” Alfred crooned in my ear. “We have you.”

“It’ll be all right,” Kate soothed, rubbing my forearms. “We’re here for you.”

I didn’t doubt that they would be there for me.

I also didn’t doubt that it would be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sexuality part is based off of my own experiences, so yes, it is accurate. And the addiction thing is based off of extensive research.


	72. Upahaar and Motee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason tells a story to his new niece and nephew (mostly his nephew).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also known as how Infinity Island came to be.

**Jason Todd**

I glanced at my phone.

No new messages. Not from her. Maybe she wasn’t done yet.

Sighing, I looked over my shoulder at the crib I was leaning against, where my niece and nephew were curled up, hopefully settling down for their afternoon nap.

Jake let out a soft cry.

Or not.

Standing up, I reached into the crib and scooped Jake up, cradling him against my chest. Mar’i, thankfully, was asleep.

“Easy, _pequeña ave,”_ I whispered to Jake, rocking him in my arms. “Uncle Jay has you.” _Little bird._

Jake hiccupped and glanced up at me with eyes that looked so like Kori’s.

He probably wasn’t going down any time soon. Dick could probably put him down, but he was downstairs eating lunch. I’d volunteered to keep an eye on my niece and nephew while he ate, so it would be up to me to put Jake to sleep until Dick came back.

I pursed my lips. What did babies like? Food, funny faces, stories…

Ah. A story should do the trick.

I propped Jake up so his head was resting against my shoulder and began walking around the room.

But what story would I tell? I didn’t really remember any traditional children’s stories. Except for Upahaar and Motee—

Duh.

“Once upon a time,” I began to whisper, so as not to wake Mar'i, “there were two children named Upahaar and Motee. They were the children of a poor woodcutter in a small forest. They loved their father very much, but they constantly got in trouble.”

I bit my lip, remembering Damian’s face as he told me this story all those years ago.

“One day, Upahaar and Motee came across an old woman. She asked them to help her find her boat and she would give them candy. Despite them knowing that their father would be worried about them, Upahaar and Motee agreed. They helped the old woman find her boat and she gave them the candy, as promised. But the candy put them to sleep. The old woman kidnapped them. They never saw their father again.”

Jake made a little sighing sound.

“Upahaar and Motee woke up on an island in the middle of an ocean. It had two volcanos and a magnificent palace in the center. There the old woman kept them with several other children. For the old woman was really a witch who wanted to eat the children.”

I held back a shudder when I remembered Damian’s face when he told me that part.

“Upahaar and Motee were determined not to be eaten. They waited until the time was right and escaped. Upahaar freed the rest of the children while Motee pushed the witch into her own oven and burned her alive.”

Jake’s breathing had evened out. Smiling, I walked back to his crib and laid him down, tucking him in under his pretty white blanket, while murmuring the rest of the story.

“The rest of the children made Upahaar and Motee their king and queen. They all lived on the island happily for many years to come.”

_Until the Demon’s Head showed up._

“Really, Todd?”

Turning around, I saw Damian leaning against the doorframe. His eyebrow was raised.

“Really what?” I shrugged my shoulders. “That’s the only bedtime story I know.”

Damian snorted. “Hardly an appropriate story for children.”

“Meh.” I smoothed Jake’s small fuzz of hair away from his face. “These aren’t ordinary children.”

“Is _anyone_ in our family an ordinary child?”

“Fair, fair.” I walked to the door, but not before glancing back at my niece and nephew’s crib.

_“Dulces sueños.” Sweet dreams._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill: you guess the fairy tale and you get a one shot of your OTP. Same if you guess the meaning of the names (that's harder). And yeah, Jay isn't too up-to-date on children's stories, having had a horrible childhood and all that.


	73. He Holds Me When I'm High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy finds comfort in drugs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEED. THE. TAGS.

**Roy Harper**

A faceless man touches me in my dreams.

When I pushed the plunger in the needle, when the heroin went straight to my brain, to my heart, to my soul, I always faded into sleep. And when I fell asleep, a faceless man always touched me.

Tonight was no exception.

The last thing I remembered was curling up in my bed, my prosthetic hand safely tucked on, hiding my latest track mark. I was curled around my pillow, my face tucked into the soft fabric.

Then I was being held by the faceless man.

It probably should have bothered me that I couldn’t see his face, but it didn’t. I didn’t really know why it didn’t bother me, it just didn’t. He could stay faceless. It was his touches that undid me.

Some days it felt like I was starved for physical affection—not sex, though that was nice, but actual touch.

I couldn’t remember my mother’s touch—she’d left long before my memories kicked in. My father’s touch was something that danced in and out of my reach—sometimes I remembered it, sometimes I didn’t.

Brave Bow, _Azhé’é,_ used to touch me. He held me close when I cried, held my hand whenever I needed it, pressed kisses to my head when I’d done good.

Ollie wasn’t one for physical affection. He rarely touched me—the occasional pat to the head here, the occasional hug there. Dinah was much more open with her touches. She’d held my hand, danced with me, messed up my hair when we roughhoused together.

I didn’t want to think about the coldness that touched the edges of my memory for what felt like an eternity.

When I woke up, no one wanted to touch me. Sure, I got handshakes, pats on the back, the occasional hug or shoulder bump, but it was mostly for show. No one wanted to touch the crazy guy.

Kori had offered touch in a way I’d never had before—one that actually brought me inexplicable pleasure. It was almost perfect. Almost.

Except something was missing. Some small, little detail in the corner of my mind that kept this from becoming my escape, my home, my utopia.

Still, I clung to that touch as long as I could until Kori called it off. She still touched me more than anyone else, and I was grateful for that warm touch.

Heroin was the perfect substitute. Whenever the opioid entered my bloodstream, I felt the warmth and love of a thousand touches. I felt loved, for what felt like the first time in forever. I could forget the loneliness that permeated my every waking moment and lose myself in the comforting touch of my greatest escape.

Heroin brought me to the faceless man.

The first time I fell asleep while high, he had scared me, because I didn’t know why he was there. Then he took me into his arms and whispered to me while running his fingers and lips over my skin, worshipping me in ways I had only dreamed of.

Tonight I was splayed over his chest, my head pressed against his heart, listening to that powerful beat. His fingers were running up and down my spine and I shivered at the touch. The pads of his fingers were rough but gentle, and the way they moved over my skin felt like a musician’s hand on their beloved instrument, playing just the right melody to make me ache with pleasure.

Times like this, I never wanted to leave.

Maybe someday I’d be lucky enough to stay in this place with the faceless man forever.

Maybe someday. But for now…

For now, I’d keep him in my dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big stuff coming! And I'll give you one guess as to who the faceless man it.


	74. Running For Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade finds her home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize ahead of time for the OOCness.
> 
> HEED THE TAGS.

**Jade Nguyen**

I tried not to let my shoulders shake as I got on the gangplank boat to leave Infinity Island for the last time.

“Wait, wait!”

Turning around, I saw Talia running up after me, concern evident in her big brown-green eyes, even from a distance.

“Milady,” I said carefully, trying to keep myself from panicking. Talia could be unpredictable at the best and worst of times, and now, minutes after her father Ra’s had dissolved my vows to the League of Assassins and hours after Slade had dissolved my vows to the League of Shadows, would not be a good time for her to go ballistic on me. “Is something wrong?”

Talia threw herself at me, desperately clutching my shoulders. I put my hands over hers, trying not to panic. Talia and I weren’t close, so this behavior was strange at best.

“You are leaving us,” she said quietly.

“Yes,” I replied. “It’s time I stepped back from the life.”

“Will you be going to the mainland? Will you be seeing my darling Bruce? Or my precious Damian?”

Which Bruce, I wanted to ask—the man you drugged into loving you, or the boy you mind controlled into loving you? And do you mean your son that you twisted into becoming a living weapon?

“No,” I lied, knowing full well that at some point I would see all of them. “No, I won’t see them.”

“Please, if you do, tell them I love them,” she whispered, and I saw tears glimmering in her eyes. “Tell them I love them very much.”

I knew she did. I also knew that if I did tell them that, I was liable to get punched. “Of course,” I told her. “I’ll tell them.”

“Thank you.” She drew back. “May Allah bless your path, sister.”

_Sister._

I tried not to shiver at the implications of that as I stepped onto the boat and sat in the driver’s seat, buckling myself in and turning the engine on.

And I did not look back as I gunned it as far away from the Hellish island as possible.

I sighed in relief as the salty ocean water sprayed my face despite the windshield, a weight in my gut lessening as I sped far away from Infinity Island and far away from my old life.

My earpiece buzzed. Tapping it, I said sharply, “Cheshire.”

“So, I take it you’ve escaped,” a familiar voice said dryly.

I sighed. “How long have you been listening in on me?”

“Since after you left the palace. Nice of Talia to send her regards.”

“Solid sarcasm,” I told him.

“Thank you.”

“What do you want, _Garnet?”_ I snapped, instantly regretting my words.

_“Don’t_ call me that!” he snarled at me. “I _wanted_ to make sure you were all right, but if that’s apparently—!”

“Sorry, sorry, I’m _sorry,”_ I said frantically, clenching the steering wheel. “I’m _sorry,_ Jason.”

Jason huffed. “Yeah, whatever, _Cheshire.”_

I sighed again. “All right, I deserved that one. But I’m not Cheshire anymore. I’m just Jade now.”

“Just Jade.” Jason laughed. “Are you sure you can handle being _just Jade?_ If I recall correctly, that didn’t work out too well for you last time.”

“It’ll work this time,” I said determinedly. “I’m not going back. I’m leaving the life behind. _Forever_ this time.”

“Didn’t your sister once say the same thing?”

“I’m not my sister. I have a stronger backbone.”

“We’ll see.”

“So, are you done _checking in_ on me, or is there an actual point to this call?” I asked. “Not that I don’t love hearing the sound of your voice.”

“Tell me, is this voice kink genetic? Because I know Barbara would enjoy using it on your sister,” Jason teased.

“I don’t have a voice kink. And keep your cradle-snatching sister _away_ from Artemis,” I told him, half-serious.

“Barbara’s more of a cousin, actually. And Artemis is older than her, so rest assured, you’re the only cradle-snatcher in your family.”

“I am _not_ a cradle-snatcher!” I gasped.

“Mmm, I think you are,” Jason sing-songed. “After all, you fucked a clone who was only _three years old—”_

“He fully consented to that!” I yelled. “He told me he identified as an adult, so I went with it!”

“Yeah, what_ever,”_ Jason snorted. “You are _so_ a cradle-snatcher.”

“This coming from the guy who’s got blue balls for a man seven years older than him,” I countered.

“Wouldn’t that make _him_ the cradle-snatcher?”

“Just get to the damned _point_ already!” another familiar voice screeched.

“Hello, Damian,” I said. “Is Cass there too?”

“Yes,” Cass piped up from what sounded like far away.

“Hi Cass.”

“Hi.”

“Enough with the pleasantries, tell her already!” Damian snapped.

“Tell me _what?”_ I demanded.

“Your son is alive,” Jason said quickly.

My heart stopped.

My brain stopped.

_Everything_ stopped.

_“What?”_ I got out.

“You heard me, Jade.” Jason’s tone was dark. “Your son is alive. And if you want to save him, I suggest you keep quiet and let me talk.”

My son.

My _son._

My baby boy that I never even got to _hold…_

“Tell me,” I snarled. “Tell me _everything,_ Hood.”

“We don’t know much.” Jason took a deep breath. “There’s a meta-human trafficking depot in Vlatava. They’ve kidnapped a bunch of three and four-year-olds from orphanages all around the Eurasian supercontinent. We’ve hacked their systems and gotten a headcount of their kids—they’ve got one hundred in total, all with DNA matching some of the most dangerous or powerful people in the world.”

I wasn’t entirely prepared for his next words.

_“One of them tested positive for both your DNA and Thomas Blake’s. His name is Thomas Blake Jr.”_

_ Thomas Blake Jr._

_ My son._

“I’m going after him,” I growled.

“We assumed as much,” Damian said dryly. “Which is why we informed you ahead of time. They are planning a mass deportation of the children to locations all around the world. You have twelve hours to get to Vlatava.”

“I’ll be there,” I swore.

“We’ve sent you the coordinates for the site. Meet us at the abandoned building next to the place,” Jason instructed. _“Do not make a move until we get there._ The place is _heavily_ guarded—you won’t stand a chance forty against one.”

“Says who?” I challenged.

“Says me,” Cass told me.

“Fair enough,” I conceded. “I’ll see you there.”

“See you there.” The line went dead.

I gripped the steering wheel, my teeth clenched as I spotted the edge of Sri Lanka approaching. I’d chartered an airplane to take me to London, but now I knew I would have to stop in Vlatava.

I was getting my son back.

No matter what the cost.

Red Hood, Orphan, and Robin were waiting for me on top of the abandoned building next to a red warehouse in one of Vlatava’s slums. I knew Perdita Vlatavan enough to know that she was doing her best to eradicate the slums in her country.

She must not have gotten to this one yet.

“How did you get here so fast?” I asked as I climbed onto the roof.

Red Hood shrugged, the muscles in his massive shoulders rolling with the movement. “We used a Zeta Tube—the one in Queen Perdita’s palace. She didn’t question us—I think she’s afraid of us.”

“Can’t say I blame her,” I said. _“I’m_ still a little afraid of you. And I’ve known you longer than she has.”

Robin snorted. “That is because you are smart.” He gestured to the warehouse. “Shall we?”

“Sure. What’s the plan?”

“The three of us go in through the second story windows.” Red Hood’s voice was all business. “There are seven henchmen in there, all armed with machine guns. The boss is in the computer room on the other side of the warehouse.” He nodded at me. “That’s where you come in. It’s on the ground level—down there.” He pointed at a smaller window near the ground. “Break in there and kill him however you want.”

“What about the children?” I pressed. “How do we know they won’t get caught in the crossfire?”

“Simple. They’re all being kept in a giant pen.” Red Hood held up a circular device with a red button in the center. “This thing generates a bulletproof shield. I throw it at the pen, those kids are safe as can be.”

“Must be nice to have connections to some of the most cutting-edge tech in the game,” I remarked dryly.

“It has its benefits.” Red Hood made his way to the edge of the roof, Orphan and Robin in tow. “We go in at the same time. Get onto the ground level.”

I jumped off the roof, landing silently beside the window he’d pointed out. I hesitated, hesitated—

_“Now,”_ Robin hissed through the comm.

I barreled into the window.

Too-thin glass shattered at my body weight and I was face-to-face with a fat, sweaty, unarmed man.

With no weapons.

I snorted.

Moron.

Unsheathing my sword, I lunged forward—

His arm shot out, extending far beyond a normal arm’s reach. Dodging, I sliced it clean off.

Damn. His meta-gene was activated. Of course. Most traffickers in this game were also clients. Made them harder to kill sometimes.

Sometimes.

The man howled in agony, his arm retracting so he could clutch the bleeding stump to his chest.

“Silly man,” I chided. “You should know better than to go up against an assassin.”

“You’re dead,” he panted. “You’re _dead,_ you cunt. My men will be in here any minute—”

“Unlikely,” I purred and jumped up, sword out and flashing. He barely had time to react before I sliced him clean in half.

Then into quarters.

Then into eighths.

When he laid in pieces on the floor, I sheathed my sword and stalked out of the office and into the warehouse proper.

The seven henchmen were collapsed on the floor in even more pieces than my guy. Red Hood and Robin were standing in front of the children, counting, while Orphan was moving among them. Most of them were asleep, a few looking up, their little heads cocked with confusion.

“Are they all right?” I asked, running up.

“Yep. All one hundred are present and accounted for—” Red Hood started.

“Where’s my son?” I gasped before he could finish. “Where’s my boy?”

Robin nodded at something behind me. “Orphan has him.”

Whirling around, I saw Orphan standing in front of me holding a small boy in her arms.

_My son._

Even if Orphan hadn’t picked him out, I would have known it was him. His hair was brown, a mix of my black and his father’s blond, but it was messy like mine. He had my face and nose and his father’s lips. His eyes were closed, his long lashes fluttering as he slept.

My baby boy.

My breath caught in my throat as I took him from Orphan, rocking him slightly in my arms.

I couldn’t believe it. For the first time _ever,_ I was holding my son. My baby boy. I leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

His eyes blinked open and he looked up at me. His eyes—a deep green. Interesting—were wide and curious.

“Hi baby,” I whispered, unable to raise my voice. “Hi baby.”

“Who you?” he asked, his voice raspy.

“I’m your mommy,” I told him. “I’m your mommy.”

“Don’t have mommy,” he said. “They said so.”

“They were wrong,” I explained, unable to stop the hitch in my voice. “I’m your mommy. I found you.”

“You found me,” he agreed, his eyes drooping shut. I rocked him until his breathing evened out.

I noticed I hadn’t heard anything from Red Hood and the others. Looking up, I realized they were climbing the walls up to the shattered windows.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“We anonymously forwarded the information about this place to Miss Martian,” Red Hood responded. “We’ve been tracking the Bioship. She’ll be here any second with her squad. And we want to keep our little relationship out of the spotlight, you feel me?”

“Agreed,” I told him, before a thought hit me. “Wait! What are his powers?”

Halfway out the window, Red Hood glanced down at me. “Hmm?”

“You said this was a meta-human trafficking depot. These kids have active meta-powers right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, what are his?”

Red Hood paused, probably dredging up the memory. “He’s immune to any and all types of poison.”

I blinked. Any and all types poison?

He’d make a perfect assassin.

Not that I would let him become anything like me.

“Yeah, be careful with that,” Red Hood called down before he disappeared through the window.

I glanced down at my sleeping son just before I heard the Bioship touched down outside.

Three seconds later, the doors flew open, admitting Miss Martian’s squad, known publicly as Forager’s Hive. Tigress was there, her bow primed and ready to fire at any target she saw. I knew she would never aim to kill.

She was better than me in that regard.

“Jade!” Lowering her bow, Tigress ran forward, barely glancing at the dead bodies. She probably assumed they were my casualties. “What are you doing here?” She eyed the boy in my hands. “And who is that?”

“I busted this place for meta-trafficking,” I said carelessly. “And this…”

I stared down at the beautiful baby boy in my arms.

“This is my son,” I whispered. “Thomas Blake Jr.”

“I’m sorry—your _what?”_ Tigress squawked.

“Look, I’ll explain later. Right now, you need help to get these kids to safety,” I told her. “I’ll help you.”

“Like _Hell_ you will!” Tigress grabbed my shoulder and dragged me away. “Miss Martian, can you and the rest of them handle this?”

Miss Martian, who was floating above everyone else, nodded, looking supremely confused. “Um, sure?”

“Great. Halo, I need you to open up a boom tube to Will’s house,” Tigress ordered. “Right now.”

“Yes, of course.” Halo’s body glowed with an indigo light. They waved a hand and an indigo boom tube opened with a bang. My boy stirred in my arms but didn’t wake.

“Come on.” Tigress herded me through the boom tube—

—and into Will’s kitchen, where Will, Lian, Cissie, and Mia Dearden were sitting at the dinner table, looking at us in alarm.

“What’s going on?” Will asked carefully as the boom tube closed behind us. “Artemis, I thought you were in Vlatava. Jade, what are you doing here? And whose kid is that?”

“Lian, can you leave us alone?” Tigress asked. “This is an adult conversation.”

“Aren’t they always?” Lian grumbled as she left the kitchen and stomped up the stairs.

_“This_ is _apparently_ Jade’s kid, Thomas Blake _Jr.,”_ Tigress snapped as soon as Lian was gone, tossing her mask on the kitchen table. “And _apparently,_ he’s a _meta.”_

She whirled on me. “Something you’d like to share with the class, _Cheshire?_ Like why you would abandon your _husband and daughter_ for someone _else?”_

“It’s not like that!” I protested. “I _swear_ it isn’t like that, Artemis! I wouldn’t—” I glanced at Will. “I’d never—it’s not like—!”

_“Then what is it like, Jade?”_ Artemis glared at me with the full fury of our father shining through on her face. “What _is_ it like?”

“Artemis, calm down!” Cissie said, alarmed.

_“I will not calm down!”_ Artemis raged. “I will _not_ calm down because she had a _perfectly_good family _right here_ and she _left_ them for some piece of shit _punk_ who couldn’t even bother to stick around!”

She sounded so much like Dad that I shuddered.

I knew why Artemis was mad. She had taken care of both Will and Lian in my absence. She’d felt their pain at my abandonment more than anyone. But she didn’t know, didn’t _understand_ my story.

“Listen,” I started.

“Jade?”

The pain in Will’s voice pierced my heart like a sword.

I turned to look at him. His bright blue-green eyes were sad.

“What happened?” he asked quietly.

I sighed, lowering my head to look at my son.

This wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.

For _any_ of us.

“Six years ago,” I started, struggling to keep my voice loud enough so they could hear it but quiet enough to not wake my son, “the League of Assassins decided to…to marry me off. A permanent partnership, if you will. Ra’s asked Dad’s permission to bond me in holy matrimony. Dad said yes, of course.”

Cissie and Mia’s mouths were hanging open.

“They wouldn’t,” Artemis stammered. “They _couldn’t…”_

“They would, they could, and they did,” I said tiredly. “Anyway, I wound up force-marrying a guy named Thomas Blake Sr., a.k.a. Catman, one of the League of Shadows’ latest thugs.”

I cringed at the weight of Will’s eyes on me. “He was…not kind to me. Not kind at all. I…I hated him. Hated him with all of my soul.” I squeezed my son to my chest. “A year later, I found out I was pregnant.”

“So what, you just _left_ your kid with the Shadows and the Assassins?” Artemis sounded horrified. “Why not bring him here? You had the sense to get _Lian_ away from your life, why not _him?”_

_“Because the second he was born, his father took him away from me!”_ I gasped at her as I gave into the tears that had been threatening to fall since I’d first heard that my son was alive.

No one said a word.

“He…he snatched him up from the midwife and left the room,” I whispered, tears leaking down my face. “I never even got to _hold_ him.”

Suddenly Will’s strong arms were wrapped around me and I leaned into his embrace.

“My baby boy,” I sobbed into his chest. “My baby boy, and I never got to _hold him.”_

“But you have him now,” Will said soothingly. “Jade, you have him back now. And you don’t have to let him go.”

“I won’t,” I swore. “I won’t.”

All was quiet for a minute before Mia spoke up. “So…where’s Catman in all of this?”

“Dead,” I said weakly, my words muffled by Will’s chest. “Not by me, but dead.” I wouldn’t reveal what Jason and Cass and Damian had done—not now. They still wanted their privacy, and I owed them that much at least. “I got wind of my son’s location tonight in a meta-human trafficking ring tonight in Vlatava with ninety-nine other kids. I rescued them all.”

“And sent for us to handle the rest.” Artemis’ hand was resting on my back. “I’m sorry I yelled at you, Jade. You didn’t deserve it.”

I twisted my head to look at her. “It’s all right. You didn’t know. Besides, you have every right to be angry.”

“So now what?” Cissie asked. “Are you going to leave him here?”

“Well…” I pulled away so I could look Will in the eyes. “I…was hoping I could stay here with him.”

“You know you’re always welcome here,” Will assured me. “We might not have the room for him, though…”

“I’m moving into Mom’s apartment in two days. He can have my room,” Artemis offered.

“Thank you,” I said to her.

“How long will you be staying?” Will asked.

“Um…forever?” I tried.

Dead silence.

_“What?”_ Artemis squeaked.

Will was speechless.

“I…I dissolved my bonds to both the Leagues.” I stumbled over my words. “I…I couldn’t do it anymore. The life…it was _killing_ me. So…I…was wondering…if maybe I…could move in permanently?”

Everyone was quiet again.

“Is that a no?” I asked shakily.

Will leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You are my wife,” he whispered to me. “You are always welcome here.”

I couldn’t help but smile, surrounded by warmth and the sweet scent of Will’s cologne. “Thank you.”

“Always,” he murmured into my hair.

There was a stirring against my chest. Pulling away from Will, I watched as my son stirred awake and glanced up at me. “Who you?” he asked. “Are you my mommy?”

“Yes. I am,” I reaffirmed.

“Okay.” He turned to look at Will. “Who you?”

“I’m your…daddy?” Will glanced at me and I nodded, unable to stop my smile. “I’m your daddy.”

“Don’t have a daddy,” he said. “They said so.”

“They were wrong,” Will told him. “I’m your daddy.”

“Okay,” he replied. “I’m Tommy.”

“Hi Tommy.” Will reached over and ruffled Tommy’s hair. Tommy giggled.

“Go get Lian,” I whispered to Will. He nodded and stepped away while I turned to Artemis.

“And _this_ is your Aunt Artemis,” I told him.

“Hi baby boy,” Artemis crooned. “You can call me Aunty Mouse, okay?”

“Okay Aunty Mouse.” Tommy giggled, waving a hand. Artemis grabbed it and pressed it to her lips.

“Can we say hi?” Cissie and Mia came up to stand on either side of me.

“Sure.” I turned to face them. “This is your Aunt Cissie and your Aunt Mia,” I introduced them.

Tommy waved to both of them. They both smiled and cooed.

Will came back into the room, followed by a pouting Lian.

“And _this,”_ I said, pointing Tommy toward Lian, “is your big sister Lian.”

“Li-an,” he said slowly, then giggled. “Li-an. Li-an. Lian!”

Lian squinted. “Little brother, huh? And where did he come from?”

Will and I exchanged looks. “We’ll tell you later,” Will said carefully.

Lian sighed but smiled at Tommy. She reached over and touched Tommy’s cheek. “Hey there, Tommy. You and I are going to get along just fine.”

“Hungry,” Tommy said suddenly. “Hungry hungry hungry hungry!”

“I guess he’s hungry,” Will laughed. “How about we all sit down and eat something?”

I looked around the room at these people—my family.

“Sounds good to me,” I said, smiling at them all.

I was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't not include this kid.


	75. Surprise!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> M'gann finds something unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't not add an angsty M'gann chapter.

**M’gann M’orzz**

“Give me a head count here if you would,” I said, clapping my hands. “How many kids do we have left?”

“We have ten left to carry over,” Jeff reported, scooping up two children. “Then we’ll be good to go.”

I nodded. “Excellent. Good work, Hive.”

“Forager is worried that Forager will drop the meta-children,” Forager clicked as he walked by, four children held securely in his arms. “Forager thinks Forager would not like to become a parent.”

“Forager does not have to become a parent if Forager does not want to,” I assured him.

Forager clicked and muttered to himself as he made his way to the boom tubes Vic and Violet had opened up.

I smiled after him, but it slowly faded from my lips when he wasn’t looking.

_I_ wanted this. Some day. Not today, but some day. A child of my own. A family.

A family with Connor.

_My_ Connor.

It was on him, really. _He_ was the one who had insisted on breaking up because _he_ was mad at _me_ because _I_ tried to _save_ our relationship.

Did he not know it was for the best? Did he not understand how _perfect_ we were for each other? Him, the hotheaded bad boy and me, the sweet-hearted angel? It was a _classic_ romantic relationship trope—one I had dreamed of since I first saw Connor and Megan on Hello Megan!

He just did not _understand_ why his anger was _unnecessary._ It was _pointless._ I was doing the right thing! Our enemies did not matter in the long run—what _mattered_ was that we _save_ people.

Why could he not understand that?

“Miss Martian! M’gann, M’gann!”

Startled out of my reverie, I looked over to where Darla was hovering in front of me, a child held in her arms. “Yes, Darla?”

She held out the child. “You may want to see this.”

I looked closer—and gasped.

“Call Captain Atom immediately,” I ordered. “He needs to come and take a look at this. _Now.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops.


	76. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel gets a nightmare.

**Rachel Roth**

I knew when I woke up screaming.

I knew as I ran to my bathroom to vomit up my dinner.

I knew when Kori held me and Ry ran into our room.

I knew as they held me, cuddling me close to their heated bodies.

I knew.

I knew.

I knew.

But I could do nothing.

Nothing but try and warn them.

I swallowed back more bile as I spewed out the words that were burning a hole in my chest.

_“Someone is going to die.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops.


	77. Foreboding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith gets a premonition.

**Lilith Clay**

_I couldn’t stop staring at the scene in front of me._

_ The body was mangled, sliced clean in half, almost like a Knight had taken a sword to it._

_ But I knew better. It wasn’t a Knight._

_ Not that kind of Knight, anyway._

_ The Knights would never do this._

_ Not to an innocent man._

_ I had to wake up, had to _warn_ everyone—_

The _second_ I woke up, I grabbed my phone, opening a contact I only used when it was a girl’s night out and hitting the call button as fast as I could.

She picked up on the first ring. “Yo, Lil. It’s nine at night, the Hell are you—?”

“Courtney,” I said quickly. “Thank the gods. You wouldn’t happen to have eyes on Ted, would you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOPS.


	78. Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tatsu gets an unexpected visitor.

**Tatsu Yamashiro**

Maybe it was the babe within me that lulled me to a deep sleep.

Maybe it was the ache in my bones from a long day of work.

Maybe it was the sweet feeling of having Ted beside me.

But I did not hear the boom tube open.

I did not hear the sound of large feet hitting the floor.

I did not hear the sharp sound of metal cutting through the air.

I only heard the gasp from beside me.

Sitting up, I turned. “Ted? Is—?”

I jerked up.

Standing there, one arm morphed into a curvy blade, a cruel grin slashed across a cruel face, was a tall being in bright yellow armor, armor that looked disturbingly similar to Jaime’s when he became Blue Beetle.

Grabbing my knife from where I kept it under my pillow, I lunged, lashing out.

It quickly parried my blade before jumping back into the open boom tube and vanishing before I could attack further.

“Ted?” I turned around. “Theodore, why did you not—?”

My heart stopped.

My brain stopped.

_Everything_ stopped.

Because draped across the bed, sliced completely in half, was Ted.

My husband.

I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

All I could do was stagger to the bed and fling my body over his.

_Ted._

_ Ted._

_ Ted._

_ Maseo._

_ Reiko._

_ Yuki._

Memories swirled before my eyes.

_Ted laughing at something I said._

_ Maseo tucking Reiko and Yuki to bed._

_ Ted pressing a kiss to my stomach when he found out I was pregnant._

_ Reiko giggling and grabbing at my fingers._

_ Ted sighing as he shifted in his sleep._

_ Yuki’s little yawn after she burped._

_ Gone._

_ Gone._

_ Gone gone gone._

_ All of them were gone._

I did not hear Courtney throwing the door open, nor register her screaming. I could not see, hear, or feel anything at all.

All I knew was that Ted was dead.

Another man I loved was dead.

There were no tears, but my body began to shake.

_My husband was dead._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUCKING OOPS.


	79. I Found You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathaniel finds someone unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Chapter Title: I Take Pity On You

**Nathaniel Adam**

I was just picking up my toothbrush when my comm buzzed in my ear.

Groaning, I tapped it. “Captain Atom.”

“Hello, Captain,” Darla said nervously.

Alarm bells were going off in my head. “Darla?”

“We have a situation.”

Giovanni poked his head in the bathroom. “Something wrong?”

“We have a situation,” I whispered before saying to Darla, “What kind of situation?”

“We…oh, you just need to come and see for yourself!” Darla burst out. “I can’t really explain it over the comm.”

“All right calm down. I’m on my way. Where are you?”

“A warehouse in a slum in Vlatava. Violet and Victor are busy, so you’ll need to Zeta Tube over here. Perdita will tell you where we are. Um, sorry.”

“It’s fine,” I reassured her. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Ending the call, I marched past Giovanni out of the bathroom. “I have to go. Forager’s Hive needs me in Vlatava.”

“I’ll come with you,” my husband said immediately. “If this is serious, you may need more help.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Giovanni, you’re wearing pajamas.”

Giovanni blinked innocently at me. _“sserD em rof elttab!”_

Instantly he was garbed in his usual tuxedo.

Now it was Giovanni raising an eyebrow at me. “You were saying?”

I sighed and strode out of our bedroom to the Zeta Tube in the basement of our hidden Italian cottage. “Remind me why I love you again?”

Giovanni was following me. “Because I cast a spell over you and made you fall hopelessly in love with me for the rest of eternity.”

Pausing at the basement steps, I glanced back at him.

My husband smiled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I kid. I did no such thing.”

“Good.” I flew down the steps and stood in front of the Zeta Tube, waiting for Giovanni to stand beside me before typing in the coordinates to Perdita’s castle.

Both she and the Markovs had Zeta Tubes installed in their homes to make transportation easier whenever we wanted or needed to visit. Of course, as the Markovs had Violet, they usually boom tubed everywhere, but they were still there just in case.

Stepping through the Zeta Tube, I grabbed Giovanni in my arms and flew up, soaring out of the basement and up to the throne room, where an exhausted-looking Perdita was waiting for us.

“They are in a warehouse just outside of Antwerp,” she said by way of greeting. “It is painted a bright red. You cannot miss it.”

“Thank you,” I said before flying out of the palace and toward the small city of Antwerp.

“You know I can levitate myself,” Giovanni commented as we flew. “You do not need to carry me.”

“I know.” I pressed a kiss to his cheek. “But I won’t pass up any excuse to hold you close.”

Giovanni snorted. “Charmer.”

We flew in silence for a minute.

“You know, when I spoke to Darla over the comm, she sounded quite nervous,” I remarked. “Do you think this is something serious?”

“I am not sure,” Giovanni answered. “Perhaps not. She always sounds nervous when she speaks to us.”

I blinked. “Really? I never noticed. Why do you think that is?”

“Hmm.” Giovanni tilted his head, considering. “Perhaps it has something to do with the way we treated her and her siblings.”

Oh. That made sense. I sighed. “Well I don’t know what she expected. Her brother lied to us about his real age—Hell, they _all_ did. She’s _ten,_ for God’s sake. We didn’t even allow Dolphin onto the team until she was thirteen. What makes you think we’d let a fifteen-year-old into the League?”

Giovanni sighed. “I do not know. We only want what is best for them—a pity the others think otherwise.”

“True.” I bit my lip—or tried to. If anything, my teeth just clanged off of metal. “All we can do is try to help them realize that they were ultimately in the wrong.”

“Yes.” Giovanni raised his head. “I see the warehouse.”

The red building was right in front of us. I landed in front of the open doors and set Giovanni down so we could walk in.

All of Forager’s Hive was waiting for us there, M’gann and Darla in front. M’gann was biting her lip while Darla was cradling something in her arms.

“We’re here.” I folded my arms. “What’s the emergency?”

“This.” Darla stepped forward, revealing what she held in her arms.

I gasped.

I couldn’t help myself.

_She looked just like me._

The little girl was about four years old. She had silver Dilustel skin and hair, though hers was spiked instead of curly. Her wide, inquisitive eyes were the same gentle red as mine, as were her fists, which were clutching her threadbare shirt, and her feet, completely bare.

When she saw me, she squealed and made grabby hands. “You look like me!” she informed me in a delighted voice. “You look like me!”

Wordlessly, I held out my hands. Darla obediently passed her to me. I held her to my chest, watching as she giggled and smacked her hand against the red atom on my chest, her eyes lighting up delightedly.

Peggy and Randy flashed before my eyes as I stared down at this little girl.

Beside me, I heard Giovanni ask, “What happened?”

“Cheshire busted a meta-human trading post,” M’gann explained. “We were called in to help transport the children to the Youth Center. We found her and thought maybe Captain Atom could help, somehow? We do not know how to care for someone…like…them, and we thought he might be able to offer some advice on how to—”

“That won’t be necessary,” I interrupted her. “I’m taking her home with me.”

Giovanni raised an eyebrow. “Are you really?”

_“Yes.”_ I raised my head and looked my husband in the eyes. _“Please.”_

For an agonizing second, Giovanni was silent. Then he smiled. “I would have expected nothing less from you.”

I couldn’t hold back a sigh of relief.

Giovanni knew me. I had spent long hours telling him of the things I had witnessed during my time, him always listening intently. I had told him about my first wife and my children and their deaths, then about my second wife and our divorce. I had told him about my ultimatum from the government and how it had transformed me into who I was right now.

I had told him about my secret longing for a family again, how I was grateful to him and Zatanna for giving me one. I had told him how I wished I had been able to watch my children grow up, be happy. I had told him of my desire to someday have another child.

Now I had that chance.

And Giovanni had sworn on Zatanna’s life that he would never take that away from me.

I looked back at Forager’s Hive. “I’m taking her home with me. Giovanni and I will look after her.”

Victor snorted. “Guess it’s a good thing she doesn’t have parents to object, then.”

Giovanni blinked. “She’s an orphan?”

“All of Hive’s new drones were orphans,” Fred clicked. “Jade found Jade’s son with Hive’s new drones.”

“Jade has another kid?” I asked.

“Me!” The girl reached up and _actually pinched my cheek,_ something only those with super strength were usually able to do. “Look at me!”

I glanced back down. “I’m looking!”

She giggled, then cocked her head. “Who are you?”

“I’m your daddy,” I informed her, my heart swelling at the words.

“No! You are not! The mean men say I don’t have a daddy,” she said, looking confused.

“Well you have one now,” I told her.

“Yay!” She shimmied around in my grip. “I have a daddy!”

I grinned, bumping her nose with mine. “Yes you do, little one.”

“My name’s Amy Sue Allen,” she informed me. “I’m four!”

“Well hello there, Amy.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Nice to meet you.”

She squealed with delight and clapped her hands.

“We should probably head back home,” Giovanni advised, reaching over to pat Amy on the cheek. “It is ten at night—you should be getting to bed soon.”

Amy glanced over at him. “Who are you?”

Giovanni smiled. “I am your papa, little one.”

“Papa,” Amy repeated, a thoughtful frown on her face. “Papa. Papa. Papa.”

“Yes.” Giovanni reached over to ruffle Amy’s hair. “Exactly.”

Amy yawned. “I want to nap.”

“Good idea.” I glanced at Victor. “Vic, if you wouldn’t mind…”

“Say no more.” Stepping to the side, Victor opened up a boom tube that would take us home.

Amy curled into me. “Too loud.”

“I agree,” I told her as Giovanni led the way through the boom tube and into our bedroom. Amy yawned again as the boom tube closed and I chuckled.

“We will have to fix a room for her tomorrow,” Giovanni remarked. “She can sleep with us tonight.”

“Yay, sleepover!” Amy cheered sleepily.

I smiled. “Indeed, little one.”

Hopefully the first of many.

“We should probably tell Zatanna about Amy,” I realized. “Should we call now, or wait until tomorrow?”

_“sserD em ni ym samajap!”_ Giovanni chanted, causing his silk pajamas to appear once more on his body. “I say we should do it tomorrow. She needs to rest—as does her unborn babe.” Giovanni cast a small smile at Amy. “And I think we deserve to keep her to ourselves for at least a little while longer.”

I beamed. Literally. My body started to glow. “Sounds like a plan.”

We tucked ourselves into bed, Giovanni and I curling around Amy protectively. Amy cooed happily and tucked herself into our embrace. Both she and Giovanni fell asleep quickly, but I remained awake a while longer, listening to her soft sighs and his light snores with a smile on my face.

Tonight was a good night, I thought as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More angst to come!


	80. Another Death To Add To The List

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeff and John investigate the murder scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BACK WITH THE ANGST!
> 
> And yay, eighty chapters! Never thought I'd make it this far!

**Jefferson Pierce**

My phone was buzzing.

Groaning, I yanked my pillow over my head, trying to ignore the sound, hoping that if I did, it would cease to exist.

Beside me, John groaned and swatted my shoulder. “Pick that up, would you? I need my beauty sleep.”

“You certainly do,” I grumbled, sitting up and reaching for my phone.

“Fuck you.”

Chuckling, I pressed the answer button and held it up to my ear. “Jefferson Pierce.”

“Jeff?” It was Courtney, and she sounded like she’d been crying.

Instantly I shot out of the bed. “Courtney, what’s the matter?”

“T-T-Ted is dead-d-d,” she sniffled. “He’s de-ead. C-Cut in half. I don’t, don’t know what t-to do.”

“Where are you?” I bolted for my sweatpants lying on the floor and yanked them on one-handedly. “What happened?”

“We’re h-h-home. In Ted and Tatsu’s r-r-room. I don’t know—I just heard a-a boom t-tube and, and then…”

She cut off with a loud wail.

“Okay, okay.” I grabbed my hoodie and awkwardly slipped it on. “Hold on. We’re coming right over, okay?”

“Ok-k-kay.”

“Do you want me to stay on the—?”

_Click._

I blinked.

Guess that answered that question.

“Jeff?” Now John was sitting up. “What happened?”

“Ted’s been killed,” I told him. “Courtney called. She and Tatsu are still alive, but Courtney’s panicked, and I don’t know what happened to Tatsu. We need to get there fast.”

“On it.” John launched out of bed and pulled on a pair of boxers—_my_ boxers, come to think of it. “Do you want me to fly us there, or do you think we should Zeta Tube there?”

“The nearest Zeta Tube is five minutes away—”

“I’ll just fly us there.” Pulling on a shirt—_my_ shirt, and didn’t he just _love_ to steal my clothes—John grabbed me around the waist. “Hold on.”

“You just want an excuse to cuddle,” I told him as he flew us out the open window.

John hummed but didn’t argue.

It took us two minutes to fly to the outskirts of Opal City, where Ted’s rather large mansion resided. John landed us on the small balcony outside of Ted and Tatsu’s bedroom and set me down to I could knock on the door.

Courtney opened the door and threw herself at me, burying her face in my chest and sobbing, clinging to me like I was a teddy bear.

Wrapping my arms around her, I ran one hand through her hair, pressing the other to the middle of her back. “Shh, shh, okay, okay. Let it all out, Courtney. Let it all out.”

John slipped past me and looking up, I saw him make his way over to Tatsu, who was thrown atop…

Oh Jesus Christ on a _Goddamn cracker._

Ted had been _completely sliced in half._

_ Vertically._

Sucking in a breath, I turned away, refocusing on poor Courtney, who was now screaming into my chest like a woman possessed by a banshee. I rocked her back and forth, humming soft lullabies that Anissa and Jennifer had liked when they were younger. It probably wouldn’t help under these circumstances, but then, what _would_ help under these circumstances? Soothing nothings? Hugs? Promises of vengeance?

_Vengeance._

_ Fuck_ I was stupid.

“We need to call the Bats,” I said to John without looking at him. I couldn’t bear to see the remains of one of my coworkers and friends. “They’ll be able to figure this out.”

“Good plan,” John replied. “I’ll run a scan of the room first. Then we’ll call—”

_“Don’t leave us here!”_ Courtney screeched, squeezing my sides like her life depended on it.

“We won’t,” I wheezed. “We’re just calling for reinforcements. We’ll call the hawks and Billy and his family. Okay?”

Courtney nodded, sniffling. “Okay.”

I grabbed my phone with one hand and opened up Carter’s contact information, praying that he would pick up, that he could come, that he would bring his family—

“Hello, Jefferson,” Carter answered, and I sighed in relief. “How can I—?”

“Ted’s been killed. Murdered,” I amended, and Courtney howled beneath me. “I need you to bring Shiera, Billy, _everyone_ to Ted’s house at once. Meet us in the kitchen.”

“On our way,” Carter said and hung up.

I put my phone away and gently maneuvered Courtney out the door and down the hall to the kitchen. I knew Ted’s house well—everyone in the League did. He regularly had dinner parties with us to keep social. Ted was a very social person.

It hurt my heart to know that I wouldn’t be invited to those parties anymore.

Suddenly I heard Tatsu bellow with rage. “NO!”

“Tatsu!” Courtney jumped out of my arms and bolted down the hall. _“Tatsu!”_ I was right behind her, rigid with fear.

Had whoever done this come back to finish the job?

Tatsu—

_John—_

Coming to a halt in the doorway, I saw John gently trying to pull Tatsu away from Ted’s corpse and Tatsu fighting like a Hellcat to get him to back off.

“NO!” she shrieked. “NO! NO! NO! NO!”

“Tatsu, you need to let go!” John yelled over her howls. “We need to examine the crime scene!”

_“NO!”_ Tatsu grabbed John’s hand and threw him over the bed so that he rolled and smashed into the wall.

“John!” I ran over to him and grabbed his shoulders. “You good?”

“More or less.” John was gripping his head. “Am I bleeding?”

I looked him over. “No, you’re good.”

“Great.”

I helped John to his feet and we both looked over at Tatsu, who was still slumped over Ted’s bisected form. Courtney was still in the doorway, one hand to her mouth, sobbing wildly.

“You take Courtney into the kitchen and meet Carter and them,” I instructed John. “I’ll keep an eye on Tatsu. Send Shiera in when she gets here.”

“Thank fucking God,” John muttered under his breath as he escorted Courtney out of the room.

Turning around, I steeled my stomach—honestly it was a miracle I hadn’t puked by now—and watched Tatsu trembling on top of her husband’s body.

She wasn’t crying. I knew Tatsu was the strong and silent type, but I would have expected this to be the thing to break her. Apparently not.

Had she cried when her first husband and children were murdered?

Soft footsteps sounded, then Shiera came into the room. She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth, before running to Tatsu and flinging her arms around her.

I left the room and went to the kitchen where Courtney was sobbing into Billy’s chest, surrounded by the rest of the Shazam family. Carter stood next to John, both of them talking quietly.

“Shiera’s with Tatsu,” I said as I came to join Carter and John. “Hopefully she can talk Tatsu into leaving Te—the body before the Knights get here.”

Carter’s brow furrowed. “You are calling the Knights?”

“Who better to do detective work?” Pulling out my phone, I keyed in Signal’s contact information. “Besides, Tatsu’s not talking and we need answers now.”

He picked up on the second ring. “Signal.”

“It’s Black Lightning,” I said immediately. “There’s been a murder. Ted Knight. His mansion. We need someone to examine the crime scene.”

“Say no more. We’re on our way. Put every other hero on high alert in the meantime.” He hung up.

“Sheesh, they don’t beat around the bush, do they?” I grumbled, pulling up the distress button. Every hero had one so they could let each other know about potential threats. I tapped mine before putting my phone back in my hoodie pocket. “Explain to anyone who calls,” I instructed Carter and John. “I’m going to go wait for the Knights.”

I jogged down the hall to the fake wall that hid the Zeta Tube and got there just in the nick of time. The Zeta Tube was in the middle of spitting out Gotham Girl when I arrived. Signal followed soon after.

“That was fast,” I remarked. “Follow me.”

I led them through the house to Ted and Tatsu’s bedroom, where Shiera had succeeded in removing Tatsu from the body.

The body.

It was hard to think of it as anything other than that. Because Ted…Ted was gone. This husk, this shell, wasn’t Ted.

It wasn’t my friend.

Gotham Girl tapped her wrist and pulled up a scanner. While she scanned the room, Signal went over to examine the body. My brain must have been playing tricks on me, because I could have _sworn_ I heard him mutter, “Go-go ghost vision.”

“That wall,” Gotham Girl said suddenly, pointing at the wall to the right of the bed. “I’m reading traces of boom tube activity.”

She turned to Tatsu. “Did a boom tube open up here?”

Tatsu nodded from where she was curled in Shiera’s grip.

Signal looked up from the body. “I’m reading traces of Beetle on the body.”

Shiera’s head jerked up. “What?”

_“Beetle?”_ I spluttered. “You mean _Blue Beetle_ did this?”

“Not Blue Beetle.” Signal bit his lip. “The traces are yellow. Did you see a being in yellow Beetle armor?” he asked Tatsu.

Tatsu nodded again.

_“Yellow_ Beetle armor?” I ran my hand over my head. “So you mean to tell me there’s a _Yellow Beetle_ out there?”

“Must be.” Gotham Girl swore. “He said there might be more, but I never imagined a _Beetle_might have survived.”

“Hold up, _he?”_ I held up a hand. “You mean you _knew_ about this?”

Gotham Girl sighed through her nose. “We had intel that there _might_ have been some Reach sentinels that survived our little purge. We didn’t know _for sure,”_ she said quickly when I opened my mouth to start yelling, “so we were investigating. But this clenches it.”

“So there are _more_ Beetles.” I rubbed my face. “Great.”

Tonight just got better and better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	81. I Hate Myself For Missing You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian thinks about his mother.

**Damian Wayne**

It was the third time that I woke up from _Jid’s_ screaming that I decided that enough was enough.

Tossing my blankets aside, I grabbed my alarm clock and stormed through my room, throwing my door open and marching over to Cain’s room.

She answered when I knocked, of course. She was a lighter sleeper than anyone in our family, thanks to her damned father. Her hair was flat on one side and she was blinking sleepily.

It seemed she was having a good night.

She deserved it.

“I cannot sleep,” I announced. “Can I have a Damian sandwich?”

Cain nodded and took my free hand. Together we made our way to Todd’s room.

Judging by the sound of Todd’s voice when he said, “Come in,” he had been awake for a while. My suspicions were confirmed when Cain and I came over to his bed and he was staring at the ceiling, his hands over his ears.

“Todd.” I tapped his side. “Are you all right?”

“I can’t sleep,” he mumbled. “I keep hearing water dripping.”

I paused, listening. “Nothing is dripping, Todd.”

“That’s what Babs said too.” Todd groaned, running his hands over his face. _“Dios mio,_ I want to fucking _die.”_

Cain inhaled sharply through her nose.

“I’m not being serious, I swear,” Todd said quickly.

“Damn right,” I growled.

The three of us had sworn when we escaped the League of Assassins that we would remain alive unless we died naturally or were killed in battle, Pit-induced insanity be damned. And we had all stuck to it.

So far.

Todd sat up. He was clothed in his usual shirt and hoodie and sweats. I knew he had socks on underneath. He was always cold.

We all were.

Perks of being a walking corpse.

“I need a Damian sandwich,” I told him.

“Say no more.” Todd patted the bed next to him. “Climb in.”

We settled down together—Todd on the left, Cain on the right, me in the center. Todd pulled the blankets over us and we all snuggled close.

“So, Dami.” Todd pressed a hand to my shoulder. “What’s up?”

“Yes,” Cain said, curling up against me. “Why Damian sandwich?”

“Same old same old,” I sighed. _“Jid_ was being annoying. And…”

I hesitated.

“It’s all right, Dami. You can tell us.”

I bit my lip. “No, I…I do not want to hurt you.”

Todd stiffened. “You were missing your mother.”

I nodded. “Yes.”

My mother.

Talia al Ghul.

The Demon’s Daughter.

_‘Um._

_Baba_ and Todd’s rapist.

I squeezed my eyes shut. “I am sorry.”

“Not your fault,” Cain said sharply.

“I agree with Cass.” Todd’s fingers squeezed my shoulder. “It isn’t your fault you miss your mother.”

_“But I should not,”_ I gasped. “She did such horrible things…”

“Damian al Ghul Wayne, you listen to me right now.” Todd’s voice was firm. “No matter what she did, she was your mother. She raised you. She took care of you—”

“Not really,” I remarked. “She let _Jid_ turn me into a living weapon.”

“Dams, I was there. I saw how she read to you, how she spoiled you, how she cuddled you after you got dunked in the Pit.”

I shuddered at the mention of the Pit.

So did Cain.

So did Todd.

“I am sorry,” I said again.

“No sorry,” Cain insisted, stroking my back. “No sorry. Not your fault. You love her. Fact. Not your fault.”

“Exactly.” Todd leaned over, pressed a kiss to my forehead. “She loves you—in her own special way. And you love her. There’s nothing wrong with that. I still love my mom, even after all the things she did.”

I frowned. “Which one? Catherine or Sheila?”

“Catherine,” Todd clarified. “She raised me. She took care of me as best she could. She loved me. I still love her.”

“And Sheila?” I tried.

I could not see it, but I knew Todd’s face had grown sad. “I didn’t love _her_ as much as I loved the _idea_ of her—a mother to love me again. I didn’t realize I’d written my death sentence by trying to save her.”

“Would have done it anyway,” Cain piped up. “That is you.”

Todd huffed. “You’re not wrong there.”

“You do not love your parents, do you Cain?” I asked.

Cain shook her head. I felt it against my neck. “No. They were not kind. Not like Talia. No kindness. Only pain.”

“Dams, you can’t compare yourself to Cass.”

“Yes,” Cass agreed. “Bit different.”

“Not that much,” I argued.

“The point is, you’re not a horrible person for missing your mom,” Todd said firmly. “End of story. Okay?”

“Okay,” I mumbled, tucking myself firmly in between their bodies.

The three of us are quiet for a few minutes.

“Did…did Jon look at me?” I asked.

“Hmm?” Todd stirred briefly.

“That day…on the Watchtower. When we were all together. Jon…did he look at me?”

Cain sighed, ruffling the hair on the back of my neck. “No. Focused on Laney.”

Something in my chest wilted. “Oh.”

“Hey, don’t feel bad,” Todd said easily. “Roy barely looked at me too.”

“Distracted,” Cain pointed out. “Longing.”

_“Longing?”_ I did not have to look to know that Todd was frowning. “For what?”

“Love,” Cain answered simply. “Touch. Happiness.”

“Huh.” I knew Todd’s eyebrows were raised. “Interesting.”

“In essence, fuck him and he will be happy,” I deadpanned.

_“Damian,”_ Todd groaned.

“Kaldur looked at me,” Cain mused. “Curiosity. Good sign.”

“Sure.” Todd reached over and patted her shoulder. “That’s good, Cass.”

“Yes. Maybe.” Cain sighed. “If he can love me.”

“He will,” Todd said firmly. “They all will.”

No one said anything after that.

The _we need them to_ echoed silently around the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops.


	82. I Miss Mommy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wally deals with several people's grief.

**Wally West**

“Wait, wait. Let me get this straight.” I adjusted the comm in my ear. “You mean to tell me Nate and your dad just went out and _got_ a kid?”

“Basically.” Zatanna sighed. “It’s like they felt the need to one-up us when they found out we were having a kid.”

“Sheesh.” I stood on my tiptoes to reach the ceiling where I was attaching Jai’s mobile. “And how are you dealing with having another sibling?”

“I’m dealing just fine.” I heard Raquel snorting on the other side of the comm. “Okay, so maybe I’m a little offended they didn’t inform me first thing. But I’ll deal. And who knows? It might be fun. And besides, even if it doesn’t turn out to be fun, I know what it means to Nathaniel to have a kid like him.”

“Well good luck anyway.”

“Thanks.” Zatanna blew out a breath. “Speaking of kids, how are Jai and Irey settling in?”

I bit my lip. “I guess they’re all right, all things considered. Their rooms are right across from mine in the tower, so they shouldn’t be too lonely.”

“So you won the custody battle, I take it?”

“Yeah.” I bit my lip. “Flamebird may have had to intervene and _convince_ Jai and Irey’s father that they wouldn’t be coming with him. That pretty much convinced the court. So, here we are.”

“Neat.” Raquel said something on the other line. “Oh, right. Raq wants to know if you’ll need help babysitting because apparently _our_ kids aren’t enough for her.”

I grinned at Raquel’s indignant squawk.

“Oh, sorry, she meant Amistad. Apparently _he’s_ the breadwinner of the family now—ow! No pinching!”

_That_ made me snort. “Yeah, Raquel, no pinching outside of the bedroom.”

“You ever say that again and I’ll turn you into a chipmunk!” Zatanna said indignantly.

“Sure thing, Zee.” A thought crossed my mind and I immediately sobered. “How are Courtney and Tatsu doing?”

I couldn’t see her, but I knew Zatanna was biting her lip. “Not well. They’ve made a preliminary move into Courtney’s old home in Manhattan. Jeff and John are bringing their stuff over. I think they’re waiting for the will reading to decide what to do with his estate.”

“Yes, but how are they handling Ted’s…you know.” I couldn’t bear to finish the sentence.

Couldn’t bear to think of that bright, shining star of a man as dead.

“Well, Courtney is constantly crying except when she passes out. Billy and his siblings are basically bullying her into eating and drinking. And Tatsu…”

Zatanna sighed. “Tatsu hasn’t said a word. She just sits there, curled up in a ball. Shiera’s monitoring her. She still eats and drinks and sleeps, but it’s like she’s barely functioning at normal capacity.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “Well—”

“Uncle Wally?”

Turning around, I saw Jai standing in the doorway of his new room, his hands clasped in front of him.

“I’ll call you back, Zee.” I ended the call. “Hey there, buddy. Is there something I can help you with? I thought you and Irey were playing with Dex-Starr?”

“His name’s Dexter. And yeah, we were. Then Mr. Bizarro came to visit Ms. Lilith. Now Irey’s talking with them. But I felt sad, so I came to find you,” Jai explained.

He did look sad. I sat down on Jai’s bed and patted the space beside me. “Okay. What’s wrong, buddy?”

Jai climbed up beside me and sat down, looking at his knees. “I miss Mommy.”

Oh. I sighed and rested my hand on his shoulder. “I know, buddy. I miss your mom too. And I know she misses you too.”

“I just…” Jai looked up at me. His eyes were clouded with tears. “I wish I could have said goodbye.”

My heart cracked at his words. “Me too.”

Pulling Jai close, I wrapped my arms around him in a hug, running a hand up and down his back.

“I miss Mommy,” Jai whimpered into my chest, clutching my shirt. “I miss Mommy.”

I sucked in a breath but said nothing. Instead I held Jai close and rocked him back and forth.

Because what could I possibly say to make it better? What words would make Linda’s death hurt less?

How could I soothe the hurt of a lost loved one?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry.


	83. Yes, We Are Actually This Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Atlantean want to launch an investigation against the Gotham City Knights.

**Tula**

Garth was pacing again.

I sighed through my nose. “Garth, you will wear a hole in the floor.”

My husband rolled his eyes. He did not stop pacing. “You and I both know I will do no such thing.”

“It is an expression.” I stood up and went to him, grasping his shoulders. “Calm down, love. Everything will be all right.”

“Will it?” Garth finally stopped, glancing at me. “Almost seventy deaths, Tula. _Seventy._ Our ranks have been thinned. _Drastically._ Who will we lose next?”

I saw the unspoken words in his eyes.

_What if I lose you next?_

“You will not lose me, I swear it,” I told him, pressing a kiss to his nose. “I am not going anywhere. Nor is Kaldur, Wyynde, La’gaan, Dolphin, Artur, or anyone.”

“Tula is right, my friend.” Kaldur walked into Mount Justice’s meeting room, closely followed by all of our aforementioned friends. “None of us are going anywhere.”

“Yes, well.” Garth grimaced. “It is easy for you to say that. But in light of last night’s…murder, I am not so reassured.”

“You know death is a constant threat in our lives,” Wyynde pointed out. “We all acknowledged this going in.”

“True, true. Does not mean I cannot worry about it,” Garth retorted.

I rolled my eyes.

“We have no reason to fear Death, for is Death not on our side?” La’gaan offered.

Dolphin shot him an odd look. “Since when is Death on our side?”

“I was referring to Orphan, actually.”

“Mind your tongue,” Kaldur said. “She is not Death.”

“Merely touched by it,” Artur countered. “I know you all felt it. She was touched by Death himself.”

“That she was.” Dolphin shuddered. “They all were. It was quite frightening.”

“Indeed.” I tilted my head. “I wonder what happened to them that they were afforded Death’s touch?”

Kaldur bit his lip. “Such thing is worthy of study.”

“So you want to research the very scary people, one of whom was able to punch _Superman—without_ being meta, mind you—and hope they do not take offense?” La’gaan asked incredulously.

I shrugged. “It would hardly be the first time we have flirted with death.”

“Fair.” La’gaan sighed. “All right, I am in.”

“So we are agreed,” Wyynde said. “We will attempt to figure out the connection between the Gotham City Knights and Death.”

“And also pray that this is not a massive mistake,” Garth added.

I rolled my eyes again and wondered if Garth should be taking anxiety medication. Maybe it would help him calm down some.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll find out later how well this goes for them.


	84. If You Don't Have A Therapist, A Hair Dresser Works Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harper and Claire have a talk.

**Harper Row**

“You ready for the big unveiling?” I asked.

Jason nodded.

I whipped off the towel. “Ta-da!”

Jason tilted his head from side to side, admiring the dark blue and silver streaks I’d added to the tips of his hair in addition to the red. “Very nice! I like it!”

He glanced in the mirror at Cass and Damian, who were squeezed together on the chaise lounge in the corner of our spa. “What do you two think?”

Damian nodded in approval. “You look very handsome, Todd.”

Cass gave him the thumbs up.

“Awesome.” Jason stood up, stretching. _“Gracias,_ Harper.”

_“De nada,”_ I replied. “Go forth and slay, great prince.” _You’re welcome._

Jason stuck his tongue out as he left the spa, Cass and Damian following him, kind of like ducklings following their mother.

I was putting away the dyes when Claire came into the room, wringing her hands together.

“What’s up?” I asked as I set the dark blue dye back in its place.

“I, um…” Claire fidgeted in place. “I was wondering if you could dye my hair too?”

“Sure thing! Take a seat!”

Claire plopped down in the chair while I got out the un-dyer, a hair salve Stephanie had concocted that would safely remove hair dye.

“What are we going for today?” I asked.

“I want to keep the blue, but add some…silver and yellow? On the tips? If that’s all right?”

“Of course.” I leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Claire’s forehead. “Anything for my favorite cousin.”

“What about Duke?” she asked, frowning.

“Okay fine, _one_ of my favorite cousins.” I grabbed the yellow dye—the silver was still out. “Streaks?”

“Yes, please.”

I pulled on a pair of gloves and dipped my fingers in the un-dye pot, then began rubbing it into sections of Claire’s hair.

“I’m going to do to you what I did to Jason,” I told her. “In thirds. Yellow silver blue, yellow silver blue. Okay?”

“Sure.”

She was quiet while I worked the un-dye through her hair.

“So, what’s up?” I asked. “You seem out of it.”

“Ah, nothing. It’s just…” Claire bit her lip, folding her hands together. “I was thinking about Starman—Ted.”

I winced. “Yeah, I heard about that. Did he really get cut in half?”

“Vertically. All his organs were spilled out…” Claire shuddered. “I know I’ve seen worse—Hell, I’ve _done_ worse. But sometimes…I just, it…sometimes…”

“Sometimes it gets to you. I know.” I finished with the un-dye and set it aside. “Come on, let’s wash that out.”

I led Claire over to the chairs with sinks attached to the backs so I could wash the un-dye out of her hair.

“It’s natural to be repulsed by what you see,” I said as I tilted Claire’s head back and started the water. “Our job isn’t pleasant—only crazy people would actually enjoy it.”

“Crazy people _do_ enjoy it,” Claire muttered, “and we have to kill them every night.”

“Yeah. You’d think after thirty-nine years in this city all the bad guys would have died out by now.” I ran my fingers through Claire’s short hair, combing out the un-dye. “I mean, really. If we haven’t put the fear of Death into these people by now…”

“People are stupid. And they do stupid things.” I heard Claire sniff. “Really stupid things.”

I paused.

“Hank was like that—stupid, I mean. He was so smart—he loved chemistry and physics and all that. But he made some really stupid decisions. Like the time he threw a rock at our bedroom window. Or the time he punched that girl that was bullying me in the second grade. Or the time he graffitied the school the night he graduated the eighth grade. Or…”

Claire’s fists were clenched. I dried my hands off and reached down to clasp one between my own.

“Or the time,” Claire sobbed out, “that he used his full potential and…and blew himself to…to _fucking pieces…”_

I sat down on the arm of the chair and wrapped my arms around Claire, letting her rest her head under my chin.

“I saw Hank,” Claire whimpered. “When I was…when Duke and I went to investigate…I…I don’t know why, but I saw…I saw Hank, lying there. When he died, I mean. It…”

“Shh, all right,” I crooned. “Let it all out.”

“I love him.” Claire was outright crying now, her shoulders shaking. “I love him _so much.”_

“Of course you do,” I whispered. “He’s your brother and he was good to you. I saw him with you. You were the light of his life.”

“He was a good person,” Claire wailed. “He never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. He was kind, he was funny, he was _so damn smart._ I miss him _so much._ Why did he have to die?”

The question—one I’d asked myself so many times—reverberated around my skull as I held my crying cousin to my chest.

_“Why did he have to die?”_ Claire cried.

“I don’t know,” I whispered. “I don’t know.”

_I don’t know—but I wish I did._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sadness noises*


	85. If Virgil And Amistad Played Mario Party, Who Would Win?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raquel and her family have a dinner night with Curt and his family.

**Raquel Ervin**

“Thank you for the food, Barraki,” Zatanna said, licking her lips. “It’s delicious.”

“I agree. Quite scrumptious.” I swallowed. “Where did you get this recipe?”

Barraki looked pleased. “It’s my mother’s. She used it a lot when I was growing up because it could feed up to twelve people for a few nights—enough to help feed my family. I figured it’d be enough for all of us, plus Virgil.”

“Hey, I’m a growing meta!” Virgil protested. “I need to eat!”

“Enough for a horse, apparently,” Curt teased.

“Shut up,” Virgil muttered.

“It’s fine, Virgil,” Amistad said, sipping from his lemonade glass. “Soon enough _I’ll_ be eating like a horse too and we can both raid the pantry together.”

“You’d better not!” I warned.

“I might even join you.” Zatanna patted her stomach. “I’m already getting pretty hungry myself.”

“Good thing I’ve got dessert waiting.” Barraki stood up. “Who wants chocolate chip cookies?”

“Me!” we all said, holding up our hands.

Barraki giggled as she made her way into the kitchen.

“You’ve certainly got your hands full,” Curt remarked to me. “A pregnant wife and a growing preteen? That’ll keep you busy for a good long while.”

“Then I’ll be in the same boat as your wife,” I returned. “A grown man and an angsty teenager make for a pretty full plate.”

“Ain’t that the truth!” Barraki agreed as she came back in, carrying a plate of cookies. She set it down and Virgil and Amistad immediately grabbed some.

“Hey, do you guys mind if I take Ami to my room?” Virgil asked through a mouthful of cookie. “I promised him I’d play Mario Party with him.”

“Yeah, _please?”_ Amistad gave us the puppy dog eyes.

I sighed. “Only if it’s okay with our hosts.”

Curt snorted. “Go ahead kiddos. Be nice to him, Virgil. Try not to kick his ass too bad.”

“Hey, I’m good!” Amistad protested.

“Yeah, good at losing!” Virgil teased.

Amistad squawked in outrage and lunged after Virgil, who danced away, laughing.

“It’s good to see the two of them having fun,” Barraki chuckled as Amistad chased Virgil out of the dining room and off to his bedroom.

“Have you and Virgil been having any problems recently?” Zatanna asked curiously.

“No, no, all is well. But…” Barraki’s smile grew fond. “I’ll never pass up an opportunity to cherish Virgil’s smiles.”

“I’m glad Virgil’s settled in.” I reached for a cookie. “After his parents and sister died in that explosion, I never thought I’d see him smile again.”

“Hey, a loving home can work miracles. You saw what it did to Wally and Cissie,” Zatanna pointed out. “I’m not saying he’s forgotten his family, but he’s made peace with the fact that they’re dead.”

“More or less.” Curt bit his lip. “Sometimes I hear him crying in his room at night. Calling out their names. It’s terrible to hear.”

“Hmm.” I reached over and pressed my hand to Zatanna’s stomach. “Makes you wonder about our own future sometimes.”

Zatanna clasped her hand with mine and smiled reassuringly at me.

Curt cleared his throat. “That’s part of why I called you both over tonight.”

“Part of?” Zatanna raised an eyebrow. “What’s the other part?”

“Well, we wanted to see you,” Barraki admitted, smirking impishly. “You are, after all, our favorite friends in the hero community.”

“Why thank you.” I leaned forward. “What’s up?”

Curt cleared his throat. “I’ve been thinking about rejoining the Justice League.”

Silence.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I mean, I know you wanted to take a temporary break after what happened with Virgil, but I would have thought you would have wanted to stay out of the life.”

“Yeah, well.” Curt laughed. “You can’t keep a hero down for long—you know that better than anyone, Raq. How quick were you to get back into the hero life after Amistad was old enough to go to school?”

“Fair point,” I conceded. “So. You want to pick up the mantle? Become Hardware again?”

Curt shrugged. “I’ve got a Hell of a lot of free time on my hands, what with me owning my own company.”

“And me reminding him to do the paperwork,” Barraki muttered.

We all chuckled.

“Well the League will be happy to have you back,” Zatanna said. “Especially after Ted’s…you know.”

“Yeah.” Curt sighed. “Poor Ted. I’m really going to miss him. He was a good man. A good friend. I…he helped me out a lot during those first few years in the League. And I’m sure going to miss those parties he threw.”

“Won’t we all.” Barraki smiled sadly. “Will you pass on our condolences to Tatsu and Courtney? Actually, no, don’t—we’ll do it ourselves next time we see them.”

“That would mean a lot to them.” I ran a hand through my hair. “But you’ve really thought this through? You’re going to rejoin the League?”

Curt nodded. “Definitely.”

“And you?” Zatanna asked Barraki. “You’re going to rejoin the Ambassadors?”

“Is that what they’re calling us now?” Barraki nodded approvingly. “I like it. And yep. I’ve been missing my gossip sessions with Iris and Sha’lain’a.”

“Great.” I held out my hand for Curt to shake. “Glad to have you on board, Hardware.”

“Me too,” Curt replied, grinning.

“And it’s great to have you back, Barraki,” Zatanna said to Barraki.

“You can call me Young,” Barraki told her.

I blinked. “Pardon?”

“We—Curt and I—were talking, and we decided I need a code name too,” Barraki explained. “So I picked Young—my maiden name.”

Zatanna hummed. “Kind of like the Knights. They had code names for all of us. They called Lois Super Sleuth.”

“I don’t follow.” Curt looked confused. “Who’re the Knights?”

Zatanna and I exchanged glances.

“You explain,” I said to Zatanna, reaching for a cookie.


	86. A Nice Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris and her boys go to sleep.

**Iris West**

“I’m glad we showered first,” Barry remarked as he flopped down on our bed. “Hal is _such_ a hot water hog.”

I shrugged. “He’s used to staying on a place with unlimited hot water. Cut him some.”

“Fair.” Barry turned to the bathroom door. “Hey Hal, you planning on cutting your spa session short any time soon? Some of us want to go to sleep over here!”

“Hey, beauty takes work!” Hal yelled back. “Which you would _know_ if you were _half_ as pretty as I am!”

Barry gasped, clapping a hand to his chest. _“I_ am _offended! Plenty_ of people find me attractive, I’ll have you know!”

“Oh really!” The shower stopped. “Name _one_ person who’s genuinely attracted to you, _barring _Iris and I!”

“Um…”

“This should be good,” I muttered, grinning to myself.

“Uh…oh! Daphne! Daphne Dean! _She’s_ attracted to me!”

“She is _not!”_ Hal strode out of the bathroom in nothing but a pair of boxers with little microphones on it, a gag gift from me and his favorite nightwear. It matched perfectly with my Flash nightgown and Barry’s Green Lantern pajamas. “When we met her, _she_ said that _you_ were the one mooning over her!”

“That’s ridiculous!” Barry declared. “She was _totally_ into me!”

“I doubt that,” I muttered.

“You two are _so mean_ to me,” Barry huffed, crossing his arms. “Why did I marry you guys again?”

“We’re hot,” Hal and I said at the same time.

Barry nodded. “Sounds about right.”

“Will you three go to bed already!” Don yelled from upstairs. “I have a reading test tomorrow!”

“Sorry, honey!” I called up. “We’re going to bed now. Good night!”

“Good night!” Hal and Barry chorused.

“Good night!” Don, Dawn, and Jan yelled back.

I yawned, snuggling beneath the covers. “Barry, can you get the lights?”

“Why do you always ask _me?”_ Barry complained.

“Because you’re the fastest man alive?” Hal suggested dryly, spooning up beside me.

“Oh, right!” Barry zipped to the light switch, flipping it and rushing back to curl up next to me before I could blink. “Night, you two.”

“Good night,” Hal mumbled into my hair. Barry was already asleep.

I sighed in contentment and snuggled into my cocoon of men. I loved sleeping in the middle of them. It was how we usually slept, since my boys were adamant about protecting me. I might have been offended if one, they weren’t right, and two, they weren’t really comfy to snuggle up to.

No, I thought as I drifted off to sleep, there wasn’t a damn thing to complain about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like writing fluff.


	87. Red Beetle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red Beetle attacks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the brief hiatus. I kind of slid into a little depression. But I promise, I am back and I will resume my regular updating schedule.

**Chris Kent**

I was having a very pleasant dream—something to do with Wyynde and chocolate syrup—when I heard the boom tube open.

“Rao damn it, turn that damn thing off,” I groaned, waving my hand in the air. “I’m in hot chocolate Heaven here—”

_“GET DOWN!”_ Jon shrieked.

My eyes flew open and I jumped out of bed a second before a plasma blast shot right through the bed and into the wall behind it.

“What the Hell?” I gasped, whirling around in midair.

_“BEETLE!”_ Jon screamed.

Squinting, I saw that Jon was correct, there _was_ a Beetle standing in the center of our bedroom, but it wasn’t Jaime. For starters, the Beetle was too small—maybe the size of a toddler. Another thing, the armor was red.

“What the shit?” Laney, Kon, and Bizarro were awake now too, all hovering in midair beside Jon and I. Jon looked utterly horrified, his body trembling, and I realized that this was probably his first real battle.

“Who the Hell are you and what do you want?” Kon snarled at the Beetle—or Red Beetle, I guess.

“Your deaths!” Red Beetle snarled—or tried to, anyway. His voice was so high pitched that he didn’t sound very threatening.

Laney snorted. “Am I seriously being threatened by a toddler? Pathetic. I’ll enjoy wringing your little neck.”

“Laney, no!” Jon yelled.

“We do not kill!” Bizarro thundered. _“Especially_ not children.”

“Oh _fine,”_ Laney grumbled. “But when he succeeds in killing us all, don’t yell at me.”

Red Beetle roared and a plasma cannon formed where his hand was. Taking aim, he blasted at me. I jumped to the side and the plasma blasted through the wall.

“What makes you think he’ll kill us?” Kon asked Laney as Red Beetle turned toward him and Jon. He fired off another plasma blast, which connected with Jon’s bed, blasting it to bits.

“Because Blue and Black Beetle were a pain in my ass in my dimension.” Laney shot toward Red Beetle and punched him in the face, sending him skidding backward a few feet. “Took me _for-fucking-ever_ to take them down.”

“Well, nice to know you’re not unbeatable,” Kon responded, thrusting his hand out. Red Beetle flew back, crashing into the wall.

The door burst off its hinges and Clark flew in, Mia on his heels. “What’s going on?” Clark demanded.

“Red Beetle is on an assassination mission,” Bizarro said calmly, dodging a plasma blast.

“It’s getting mighty crowded in here!” I warned, ducking another plasma blast and knocking into Mia.

“Then let’s take this somewhere where there’s more room!” Laney charged Red Beetle, grabbing him and crashing into and _through_ our bedroom wall, out into the open air.

_“Laney!”_ Mia yelled in exasperation, flying out after him. “Do you have _any idea_ how much that’s going to cost to fix!”

“We’re moving out anyway,” I pointed out, following her. “Isn’t our problem anymore.”

“You know perfectly well we’re going to pay for it anyway,” Mia groused.

“Fair.”

Laney and Red Beetle were wrestling in midair. Laney had Red in a headlock while Red was elbowing Laney’s stomach. Laney grunted with each strike but didn’t let go.

“Keep holding on!” Clark bellowed. His eyes glowed red and laser beams blazed right for Red Beetle.

To my shock, Red’s eyes glowed red and he shot his own laser beams right at Clark’s. They met in midair in a fizz of sparks and dissipated.

“You…” Clark gaped at the Beetle. “You’re _Kryptonian.”_

“Indeed.” Red Beetle took the opportunity to jam his elbow into Laney’s dick. Laney howled and released his hold, and Red Beetle flew out of his reach.

Hah. Reach.

“My host is indeed Kryptonian,” Red Beetle said, grinning. “Only a toddler, I’m afraid. Not exactly used to his full powers yet. But a few tweaks to his meta-gene fixed that up nicely.”

“A _toddler?”_ Bizarro’s gaze darkened. “You mean to tell me you possess the body of a _child?”_

Red Beetle shrugged. “The pickings were slim. And his parents were already dead.”

“You will release him _at once!”_ Clark snarled. “Or we will free him from you ourselves.”

Red Beetle chuckled. “And how, pray tell, will you do that? I cannot be removed without killing my host. Would you really kill an innocent child?”

“Well—” Laney started.

_“NO!”_ we all bellowed at him at the same time.

“But he’s _evil!”_ Laney protested.

“So are _you,_ and _you’re_ still alive, aren’t you?” Mia countered.

“Only because I’m surrounded by a bunch of weaklings,” Laney grumbled under his breath.

“We can’t kill you, but we have our own Beetle,” I sneered. “He’ll reset you and set him free.”

“You say that as if he himself isn’t already being reset,” Red said casually.

Kon blanched. “What do you mean?”

A crack split the air and a boom tube bloomed under Red Beetle.

“As much as I would love to stay and chat, my time is up.” Red grinned cruelly at us all. “Until we meet again, _Kryptonians.”_

“No!” Clark yelled, shooting forward.

But it was too late. Red sank through the boom tube and the boom tube disappeared.

Jon immediately dissolved into hysterics. “What-what-what _was_ that?” he gasped, tears flowing down his face.

Clark swooped over and scooped Jon up, tucking his face into his neck. “Chris, Mia, you go check on Jaime,” he said. “I’ll contact the League. The rest of us will stay here.”

“Right.” I immediately sped off for Central City, Mia right next to me.

Something wasn’t right here. And I was determined to get to the bottom of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me just preface the next few chapters by saying I'm sorry.


	88. Orange Beetle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orange Beetle attacks.

**K’tten**

When the boom tube opened up, I began to beg again.

_Please_ I whispered to Scarab. _Please do not do this. I beg you, do not do this!_

_You are not in control, K’tten_ Scarab clicked back. _This is what the Reach requires, so it will be done._

“My thoughts exactly, Scarab,” the bug behind me said. “Proceed with Project Division.”

Scarab forced me to nod, then led me through the boom tube.

I appeared outside of a three-story wooden house, a soft ochre color with many windows curtained with flags I was very familiar with.

The flag of Tamaran.

_I sense three life forms inside the building_ Scarab hummed. It made me walk to the door.

_No_ I sobbed. _Please do not do this! They are all I have left!_

“Stop protesting, little girl,” the bug ordered through the comm. “Scarab, pick the lock.”

One of my fingers grew into a lockpick and Scarab began to dig through the lock.

_No no no_ I chanted. _I beg you, no more!_

Both Scarab and the bug ignored me.

The lock gave and the door clicked open. Scarab stepped through it, not bothering to close it behind them. Why would it when all of the inhabitants of the house would be dead?

Scarab strode through the cooking area and the lounging quarters, up the stairs, and through one of the doors into a small sleeping area, where a male figure was sprawled out on a bed, sleeping soundly.

_Prince Ryand’r._

My heart ached, both with joy and agony—joy to see my prince alive and agony because I knew that he would not remain that way for much longer.

“Eliminate him,” the bug ordered. “And do it quickly. You have three minutes and twenty-eight seconds left.”

Three minutes and twenty-eight seconds?

Hope flared in my heart.

That was enough time for one of them to escape or fight me off if they woke quickly enough!

_Please, mighty X’Hal_ I prayed _let them wake up._

But Prince Ryand’r did not awaken.

Scarab approached his bedside and morphed my arm into a blade.

_O great X’Hal_ I begged. _Please let him wake, I beg of you. I know that you have long forsaken me, but please do not abandon my prince!_

I knew my prayer had fallen on deaf ears when the blade fell, severing Prince Ryand’r’s head in one stroke.

_NO_ I howled in my head. _NO NO NO._

“Well done,” the bug praised. “Now attend to Starfire and Raven quickly. You have two minutes and fifty-seven seconds.

_Great and wonderful X’Hal, I beg of you, save my princess-commander before it is too late!_

_ Praying?_ Scarab clicked in confusion. _For what purpose? No one can hear you but me._

I ignored them and began to sob as I continued begging the goddess to protect Commander Koriand’r.

Scarab led me across the hall into a bedroom where two female figures laid, entangled in a warm embrace—Commander Koriand’r and her lover Rachel Roth. Both were sound asleep.

_WAKE UP!_ I shrieked. _WAKE, MY PRINCESS, I BEG YOU! WAKE!_

But Commander Koriand’r did not wake, and as the blade rose and fell, I felt my soul beginning to split.

“Excellent,” the bug said. “Now bring me the demon’s daughter. I am certain the Witch-Boy will appreciate the new plaything.”

_As you wish._ Scarab walked over to Rachel Roth’s side of the bed and scooped her up. A boom tube opened up on the wall closest to us and Scarab stepped through right as Rachel Roth’s eyes began to open.

“What?” she murmured, her face darkening as the boom tube closed. “What is—?”

“Fatherbox, cerebral leash,” the bug ordered, holding up the Fatherbox.

An indigo rectangle appeared over Rachel Roth’s eyes, and she immediately stilled in Scarab’s arms.

The door to the bug’s laboratory opened and in stepped a boy with black pointy hair, gray skin, and black eyes, a tawny cat with green eyes seated on his shoulders. The Witch-Boy, I had heard someone call him.

“Goody, goody!” The Witch-Boy clapped his hands. “Another toy!”

The cat meowed.

“Hush, Teekl! I know what to do.” The Witch-Boy snapped his fingers and Rachel Roth floated out of Scarab’s arms and to his side.

Teekl meowed again.

“All right, all right!” The Witch-Boy waved a hand at us. “Thanks for the new plaything.”

He and Rachel Roth disappeared into a red and black portal, leaving me and the bug alone.

“Nicely done, Scarab,” the bug said, nodding in my direction. “You have accomplished much.”

Scarab…had killed my prince and princess-commander.

No.

_I_ had killed my prince and princess-commander. _And_ delivered my princess-commander’s lover into the hands of the enemy, no less!

“I live to serve,” Scarab said with my voice, bowing.

Deep in the recesses of my head where I was trapped, I wept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really, really sorry.


	89. Yellow Beetle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yellow Beetle attacks.

**Lilith Clay**

I woke up to a boom tube thundering open and Dexter yowling.

Launching up from my bed, I reached out for Dexter telepathically, finding him and easing into his head, bracing myself for the wave of anger that hit me. “What’s happening?” I yelled.

_“We are under attack!”_ Dexter growled.

A large figure flew through the boom tube, aiming right for Dexter, who flew to the side. His ring glowed and I felt a wave of rage pouring over him.

“To me!” I cried and Dexter flew over to perch on my shoulders. He stared at our opponent and I got a good look at who I was dealing with.

It was a humanoid figure wearing yellow armor—_familiar_ armor. Whoever it was, it looked like Jaime if Jaime was taller and thinner and yellow.

“Who are you?” I asked as whoever it was turned to face me. “Why are you here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” It grinned sharply. In a male voice, it clicked, “I am Yellow Beetle. And I’m here to kill you.”

_“You’re welcome to try,”_ Dexter snarled. _“Omen, maneuver seventeen.”_

“Right. Execute.”

Yellow Beetle lunged for me. I flew to the side and Dexter wheeled his head around to eye him. A red shield formed around the Beetle and he slammed into it with a frustrated sound.

_“Now!”_ Dexter yelled.

I reached out with my senses, tapped into all of my power and used it like a hammer, slamming into his conscious. Yellow Beetle slumped to the ground, unconscious.

The door burst open and Karen and Mal ran into the room, both dressed in their armor, Karen shrunk down. “What happened?” Mal demanded. “Who is this?”

“Yellow Beetle,” I explained.

“As in the one that killed Ted?” Karen shrieked.

_“Looks like it.”_ Dexter looked back at Yellow Beetle and dropped the shield. _“Lilith, if you would.”_

“Right.” I focused and used my senses to tap into Yellow Beetle’s mind. His consciousness resisted at first, but even he was no match for a telepath.

“His name is Roxxas,” I reported. “He’s of an alien race called the Daxamites. He was a space pirate who—”

I broke off with a gasp.

“Who what?” Mal sounded concerned.

“He…” I swallowed. “He destroyed Trom.”

Dexter hissed, his claws digging into my shoulder. _“An entire planet? Even a Red Lantern could not hope to accomplish such a thing on their own.”_

“Trom…that’s Jan’s home…” Karen’s voice was shaking. “He killed…all of Jan’s people…his home…”

Pushing back a wave of tears, I pressed on. “He…he discovered a Scarab on his home planet of Daxam. It…it attached itself to his spine…now he serves the Reach…he destroyed Trom on their orders…he killed…” I let out a sob. “He killed Ted…our Ted.”

Mal cursed. Karen whimpered. Dexter’s claws dug into my shoulder.

“He’s a part of something called Project Division.” I bit my lip. “He and a contingent of Beetles were sent out to—”

I gasped in horror.

“What?” Mal asked. “What is it?”

“The Reach has sent the Beetles to certain households of our friends—under orders to kill,” I reported. “They have five-minute time limits.”

“Which houses?”

“Um…” I focused. “Clark, Kori, us, Perdita, the Markovs, Lynn, the Hawks, and the Garricks.”

_“Establish communications with them.”_ Dexter shifted on my shoulder. _“We have to ensure that they survive.”_

“Karen, Mal, go,” I ordered. “We’ll watch—”

The air cracked as a boom tube opened up on the floor beneath Yellow Beetle.

“No!” I shrieked, lunging forward.

I was too late. Yellow Beetle sank through the boom tube and it closed behind him.

“Shit!” Mal cursed. “Now what?”

“Get those communications up, now!” I gasped. “We have to save everyone!”

“Right!” I heard Mal thundering off and Karen flying after him.

My phone started ringing, playing a familiar tone—Variations on the Canon by George Winston. Bizarro’s ringtone.

I walked over to my bedside table and picked up the phone, hitting the answer button. “Biz?”

“Hello, Lilith.” Bizarro sounded relieved. “Are you all right?”

“Are you?” I countered. “I heard about the Beetle attack. What happened?”

“Red Beetle tried to kill us. He was a Kryptonian toddler. We stopped him. He boom tubed away.” Bizarro paused. “How did you know this?”

“I was just attacked by Yellow Beetle.”

“What! Are you all right?” Bizarro gasped. “I will be right over!”

“Wait, what—?”

Suddenly a familiar form was in my doorway. Bizarro. He was looking me over worriedly. “Are you all right?” he rumbled. “Are you hurt?” He glanced at Dexter. “Are both of you all right?”

_“She is all right,”_ Dexter purred, and I sensed approval radiating through him. _“Both of us are unharmed.”_

“Thank Rao. I thought…” Bizarro fidgeted. “I was worried.”

“Don’t be.” I crossed the room and wrapped my friend in a hug, which he returned. I snuggled into his strong, warm embrace. I was no dependent woman, but…sometimes it felt nice to be held. “Neither of us are going anywhere,” I said firmly. “I promise.”

Bizarro hummed.

_“You two are awfully cute together,”_ Dexter remarked, and I didn’t have to see to know he was grinning.

I blushed.

“Lil!” Mal burst into the room.

I pulled away and angled myself toward Mal. “What’s wrong?”

“A lot.” Mal’s tone was grim. “You’ll want to hear this.”


	90. Green Beetle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Green Beetle attacks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse.

**Perdita Vlatavan**

I woke up to the sound of a boom tube cracking open.

“Violet? Victor?” I murmured, cracking my eyes open. “Garfield?”

Beside me, Garfield stirred. “Mmph?”

“I think Violet or Victor is here.” I sat up. “What is—?”

A blazing light hit my eyes and I yelped and threw myself to the side as a plasma blast heated the air beside me. I heard a crack and Garfield yell in agony.

_“Garfield!”_ I cried out, pushing myself to my feet and squinting in the dark of my bedroom, trying to make out the attacker.

Standing before my now-destroyed bed was an oddly shaped figure in green and black armor strikingly similar to Jaime’s. One of his arms was morphed into a plasma blaster.

“Who—?” I started, then paused. I knew him.

Maybe.

“B’arzz O’oomm?” I said, confused.

B’arzz chuckled. “Once my host was B’arzz O’oomm, yes. But no more. Now there is only Green Beetle.”

Not B’arzz, then. Great.

Now what could I do? I knew from watching Jaime fight that my guards, if they could get to us in time, would be of no use. There were no other heroes nearby. And Garfield was most likely unconscious, if not dead.

A sob catching in my throat, I glanced over at the ruins of my bed. I could not see Garfield.

No. No. No.

I would _not_ lose anyone else I cared about.

_Nor_ would I die.

I risked a glance around my room, looking for something, _anything,_ to use as a weapon. My eyes skated over my curtains, my dresser, my sword—

_My sword!_

Once Count Vertigo’s weapon, it now hung on my bedroom wall, where it rightfully belonged.

If I could get to it—

“I thought your scarab was destroyed,” I said, slowly inching my way sideways, to my sword. “Blue Beetle said that your scarab was destroyed by Black Beetle during the Reach’s invasion of Earth.”

B’arzz—Green Beetle—laughed cruelly. “You take the Reach for fools, little girl?”

_Yes_ I thought. _You once again tried to invade Earth, despite failing TWICE now._

“It is an easy thing to rebuild a scarab,” Green Beetle sneered. “And the Reach desired this particular host again, as he is already weak to our machinations. And we wanted to punish him for his failures during his first trial as our advanced operative on Mars.”

I was three feet away from my sword. If I could just—

“And his first punishment will be to kill this boy!” Green Beetle turned back to my bed and _Garfield_ and morphed his arm into a blade.

_No._

_ Absolutely not._

_ ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT._

Lunging, I grabbed my sword and unsheathed it. Then I ran to Green Beetle, swinging the sword with all of my strength.

My uncle must have reinforced the sword magically somehow—one of the few useful things he had ever done—and I mentally thanked him for it as I sliced a gash into Green Beetle’s back.

Green Beetle bellowed and his back grew into a small cannon.

Yelping, I ducked, barely avoiding the plasma blast, then held up my sword just in time to block a swing by Green Beetle.

The doors to my bedroom slammed open. “My queen!” my guard yelled, and I heard the sound of a gun cocking.

_“Stay back!”_ I shrieked. “Go call the Justice League! I will handle this!”

“But my queen!” my guard protested.

_“THAT IS AN ORDER!”_ I shrieked.

I would _not_ have one of my guards die to this _stupid, worthless, possessed alien._

Eventually I heard receding footsteps and I nearly sighed with relief.

Nearly.

I was, after all, in the middle of a battle.

“That was foolish, little girl,” Green Beetle said, amused. “Now you will die all alone in your own chambers with the boy.”

“No one will die tonight,” I snarled. “And you underestimate just who you are dealing with!”

Whirling around, I lashed out with the blade and sliced a gash across Green Beetle’s midsection. He hissed and backed away as the gash slid closed. Typical. But I would not be deterred.

“I am not some helpless little girl,” I told him, parrying his blow.

“Oh? Then who are you?” Green Beetle asked derisively.

“Simple.” I sidestepped, jabbing at his chest. He blocked.

“I am Perdita Vlatavan, Queen of Vlatava,” I said fiercely. “I am the daughter of the Lion of Vlatava, heir of the Golden Crown. I have seen the faces of gods, touched the hands of aliens, trained with kings and queens and deities themselves. And _I—”_

I slashed. He blocked.

“—will _not—”_

He tried to cut me. I dodged.

“—be _beaten—”_

I lunged forward.

“—by _you!”_

Curling my fist, I punched him in the face.

It hurt like Hell, but Green Beetle jerked back, giving me the opening I needed. I thrust my sword forward and stabbed him right through his stomach.

Green Beetle howled as I withdrew my sword, letting the green blood splash to the ground.

“Had enough?” I growled, taking an offensive stance. “Or would you like some more punishment?”

Gritting his teeth, Green Beetle glared at me. “Oh, little girl, you do _not_ know what you just did. And I assure you, you will pay for it _in blood.”_

A boom tube opened up beneath his feet and he disappeared into it.

_“Coward!”_ I yelled as the boom tube closed.

A groan from the ruins of my bed drew my attention.

“Garfield!” I dropped my sword and ran to him.

“Perdita?” Garfield said weakly. There was a bleeding cut on his temple, but otherwise he looked fine. “What happened? Are you all right?”

“I am fine,” I assured him. “Just very angry.”

“What happened?” he grunted as he sat up, pressing a hand to his head.

“Green Beetle attacked.” I grabbed a shredded piece of what had once been my favorite sheets and pressed it to the cut. “He knocked you unconscious.”

“What!” Garfield leaned over and cupped my face in his hands. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”

“Um…” I examined the hand I’d used to punch him. “He bruised my knuckles.”

Garfield chuckled. “That’s my girl. Is Green Beetle still here?”

I shook my head. “He boom tubed away.”

M’gann flew into the room, closely followed by my guard. “My queen!” my guard gasped. “Are you all right? Where is—?”

“He is gone, Henry,” I said tiredly.

“Who is gone?” M’gann landed beside me, laying one hand on my shoulder and the other on Garfield’s head. “What happened here?”

I grimaced. “B’arzz O’oomm has been reclaimed by the Reach. He is Green Beetle once again.”

Garfield cursed. M’gann lowered her head.

“He attacked us—he knocked Garfield out. I held him off until he boom tubed away.” I shook my head bitterly. “I am sorry I could not have captured him.”

“It is all right, Perdita.” M’gann squeezed my shoulder. “You did well. Let us get Garfield some medical attention and then you two can stay with me for the night while we figure this out.”

“Yes.” I glanced at my bruised knuckles. “Yes, let us figure this out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Badass!Perdita is my fucking JAM.
> 
> For anyone doubting this, let's look at the facts: this is a young woman who is friends, or at least acquaintances with the Justice League and all of their various teams, not to mention dating Beast Boy, and is the niece of a supervillain. She also tried to punch Henchy/Devastation, kicked Vertigo/Psimon in the no-no zone, and nearly knocked out Psimon with one punch. She has no doubt learned some survival skills and should therefore be able to fight back at least enough to subdue an opponent. Also, you know there is NO WAY Diana would let this little queen go without some sword skills.


	91. Indigo Beetle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Indigo Beetle attacks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry.

**Tara Markov**

I woke up to the sound of a boom tube.

Groaning, I pushed myself into a sitting position. Violet must have opened a boom tube in her sleep. She did that sometimes in addition to floating when she slept. Granted, I was not one to talk. Sometimes I levitated the various pottery around my room whenever I had a nightmare.

Yawning, I decided to go and get a glass of water before I went back to bed—

A scream cut the air, followed by the sound of a plasma blast.

Now _that_ was not normal.

I ran, shoving my doors down as I went. The scream had come from Brion’s room, so that was where I went, shaking off the haze of sleep and pushing myself faster.

Halfway there I nearly crashed into Connor, who was clad only in a pair of boxers. His quiver was slung over his shoulder and his bow was already nocked.

“You heard it too?” he gasped as we ran.

“Yes,” I responded.

A familiar figure rolled into place beside us and I sighed in relief. Forager had chosen to spend the night with us, something I was thankful for. If things went badly, we would need all the backup we could get.

Forager crashed into Brion and Violet’s bedroom doors, sending them flying. Connor and I bolted through to see—

_Mother of God._

Violet and Brion were blasting energy and magma respectively at what looked like a giant floating ball in indigo armor similar to Jaime’s. It hummed threateningly and a plasma cannon was blasting away at Violet and Brion, who were blocking it with their own projectiles.

“What is this?” I yelled.

The ball rotated over to face me and fired a blast.

“Tara!” Connor fired his arrow. It met the blast in midair and detonated, effectively blocking it.

“Thanks!” I called.

He nodded, grinning.

The ball’s plasma cannon morphed into a sonic cannon and shot right at Connor.

“Now allow me to return the favor!” I yanked a shelf of rock up over Connor, covering him as the sonic waves hit. The blast quickly cracked the rock. Gritting my teeth, I reinforced it as best I could.

“Tara, look out!” Violet cried.

Glancing over, I saw the ball charging right toward me.

Forager slammed into the ball, knocking it into the side. It crashed into the wall, clicking furiously.

“What _is_ that thing?” Connor asked.

“An Aurakle,” Violet said.

I blinked. “Pardon?”

“An Aurakle is a sentient ball of energy that has existed since the dawn of time,” Violet explained, watching the ball—er, Aurakle—break free of the wall. “This one has been taken over by the Reach.”

“There is no more Aurakle,” the Aurakle hummed. “Now there is only Indigo Beetle.”

“Violet, can you cleanse it?” Brion asked, his fists dripping with magma.

Violet closed their eyes and shook their head. “No. I cannot cleanse a Beetle.”

“Quite correct,” the Aurakle—no, Indigo Beetle and damn it all if this was not getting confusing—said. “Only a Beetle can cleanse another Beetle, and _your_ Beetle will never get to you in time.”

“Violet, go get Jaime!” Brion yelled.

“No!” Forager clicked. “Violet Harper is needed here! Violet Harper—”

Indigo Beetle blasted Forager right in the chest.

_“Forager!”_ we all screamed at once.

“It is all right!” The blast dissipated, revealing Forager unharmed.

“Forager is immune to Reach technology,” Forager said calmingly. “Forager can withstand Indigo Beetle’s blasts.”

“Good!” Brion turned his glare toward Indigo Beetle. “Then we can get down to business and defeat this _Indigo Beetle.”_

Indigo Beetle hummed. “True. The bug may be immune to Reach technology—”

It zoomed forward to hover right in front of Forager, who did not yield an inch. I felt pride, echoed by worry, flicker through me.

“—but you are not immune to the power of an Aurakle.”

A bolt of rainbow energy blasted into Forager.

And

Went

Right

Through

Him

I screamed.

Connor screamed.

Violet screamed.

Brion screamed.

Forager rocked back and forth where he was standing before falling backward to crash to the ground.

Violet _wailed,_ their rainbow aura flaring to life around them. They took aim and blasted energy at Indigo Beetle

Brion _bellowed_ and flung a wall of lava right for Indigo Beetle.

I _howled_ and sent a wave of jagged rocks flying at Indigo Beetle.

Connor _roared_ and loosed three sharp arrows at Indigo Beetle.

And Indigo Beetle…just hovered there and took it. When the light died down, there was no damage done to it.

_“DAMN YOU!”_ Brion cried, tears pouring down his cheeks.

Suddenly a boom tube opened up beneath Indigo Beetle.

“Another time, then,” Indigo Beetle hummed, sinking into the boom tube before it disappeared

We all ran for Forager, who was sprawled in a smoking heap. Violet rolled him onto his back, and we all gasped at the smoking, bleeding hole in the center of Forager’s chest. He was still breathing—but only just.

“Forager,” Violet sobbed, clasping one of Forager’s hands in their own. “Please…please, _no…”_

We all grabbed Forager’s hands. I pressed it to my lips, letting my love for him pour into his body.

_Not Forager_ I begged. _Please, not Forager too…_

“Hive drones…” Forager clicked weakly. “…Forager loves Hive drones. Please…tell Hive drones…Forager loves Hive drones…”

His eyes closed. His hands slackened. His breathing stopped.

We all sat there for a moment, stunned.

_“NO!”_ Violet shrieked, tears streaking down her face. _“NO PLEASE!”_

Brion roared in anger, the floor rattling beneath us.

Connor began murmuring under his breath—a prayer, perhaps.

I sat there in total shock, trying to reconcile this in my head.

Forager was dead.

No, that could not be right—

Forager was dead.

No, _please…_

_ Forager was dead._

I lowered my head and wept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry.


	92. Purple Beetle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Purple Beetle attacks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for homophobia.

**Anissa Pierce**

Mom was mad at me again.

I’d just finished talking to Lian on the phone when she’d burst into my room, holding up my history notebook.

“What’s this?” she’d said, shaking the notebook for emphasis.

Squinting, I saw it was a drawing of _Grace and I holding hands._

_ Crap._

“Um…” I fished for an answer.

“What have I told you about this lesbian nonsense?” Mom shook her head at me. “I will _not _have another _faggot_ in my house!”

“I’m _not_ a _faggot!”_ I’d yelled. “Leave me alone! And quit going through my stuff!”

“Don’t you speak to me that way!” Mom had held out her hand. “Your phone privileges are suspended for a week. Hand it over!”

And that was how I’d wound up without a phone for a week.

Burying my face in my pillow, I sobbed as quietly as I could—I didn’t want to wake Jen up. It was midnight now and I still hadn’t fallen asleep.

It wasn’t _fair_—what had I done that was so bad? All I had done was drawn a picture of me holding hands with my crush—was that really worth this much anger?

I heard my door click open, then soft footsteps.

“Go away,” I sniffed, clinging to my pillow. “I’m not apologizing.”

“Your mother went out for a run,” Augustus said. “I have your phone.

That startled me into pulling my head out from under my pillow. Augustus was indeed standing over me, my phone in his hand.

“Where do I plug it in?” he asked.

I held out my hand. “Here, I’ll do it.”

Augustus handed me my phone and I plugged it into its charger.

“How…how did you do that? _Why_ did you do that?” I asked, thoroughly confused.

“I convinced your mother that you needed your privacy, and that she had violated it,” Augustus said simply. “She agreed to give you your phone back.”

I was stunned. “Thanks. But…I thought you thought homosexuality was a sin, like Mom.”

Augustus chuckled. “You have clearly forgotten that I was Raquel’s best man at her wedding to Zatanna.”

Oh. Right. I ran a hand through my hair. “Not very conservative of you.”

“Hmm.” Augustus rested a hand on my head. “I may have different opinions on certain political movements, but I do believe that everyone should be free to love who they choose. That has not and will not change, I promise you that.”

Tears began welling in my eyes and I threw my arms around him—or tried to. He was pretty big, and I was still small. Augustus wrapped me in his strong arms and tucked my head under his chin.

“I don’t understand,” I sniffled. “Why is she so against me liking girls? I mean…what’s so bad about that?”

Augustus hummed. “What you have to understand is that your mother was raised in a very strict household. Her parents held onto their views and imparted them onto her.”

“They didn’t seem to stick to Uncle John,” I muttered.

Augustus laughed. “Well, he was naturally predisposed to rebel against said beliefs. But I know that he suffered great mental anguish over said views. And his relationship with your father did not help much.”

I huffed. “You can say that again.”

“Beyond that, your mother is still hurting.” Augustus began to rub my back. “Having her husband come out as gay, then begin an affair with her brother after the divorce—that hurt her more than she lets on.”

“She lets on a lot,” I grumbled.

“I know, and I am not trying to excuse her behavior—simply trying to help you understand her motives.”

“Thank you.” I took a deep breath. “I…she kind of makes me want to move in with Dad. It isn’t that I don’t love her—or you,” I added hastily. “It’s just…she isn’t…”

“I understand you completely,” Augustus soothed. “And I completely support any decision you make.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Augustus.”

“My pleasure, Anissa. My pleasure.”

We hugged for a little while longer.

“Now,” Augustus said, pulling away. “I think it is time for you to get to bed—”

A boom tube opened up. Augustus and I jumped up and Jennifer woke up.

“What’s that?” she asked, yawning. “Why is Vic coming to our room this late at night?”

A figure jumped into the room as the boom tube closed. It was roughly the same size as Augustus and wearing purple armor that looked an awful lot like Jaime’s.

“Is that…_Purple_ Beetle?” I asked, frowning. “What on Earth—?”

A sonic cannon grew out of Purple Beetle’s right hand and it fired at Jennifer.

_“Jen!”_ I shrieked.

A force field grew around her, which promptly shattered under the sonic waves, but it had blocked the attack and I sighed in relief.

“Who are you?” Augustus demanded, assuming a fighting stance. “What do you want?”

“Your deaths,” Purple Beetle said calmly in a male voice. It redirected the sonic cannon at Augustus Freeman and fired.

Yelping, I dove to the side to avoid getting crushed by Augustus, who was thrown into the wall.

“Leave us alone!” Jennifer shrieked, thrusting out her hand. A bolt of lightning flashed out of her palm and struck Purple Beetle in the chest, pushing him back into the wall.

“Jen, you’re not supposed to use your powers!” I yelled. It was one of Mom’s rules: no superpowers in the house.

“I’m sorry!” Jennifer cried.

“Do not be!” Augustus was back on his feet. “Your powers can be used to defend yourself and your sister—use them now!”

“Okay!” Jennifer crackled with electricity and suddenly a being made entirely of electricity was hovering where my sister was. She clapped her hands and shot bolts of lightning at Purple Beetle. At the same time, Augustus fired a blast of energy at Purple Beetle.

The force of both their attacks pinned Purple Beetle to the wall, but otherwise did no damage.

“Darn!” Jennifer cursed. “I thought we had him!”

“Beetles are notoriously hard to beat,” Augustus grunted. “But that will not stop us from trying!” He lunged forward, drawing his fist back and punching Purple Beetle in the face.

It did nothing. Purple Beetle then punched _him_ in the face, which also did nothing.

“Auggie, get out of the way!” Jennifer flew forward and rested her hand on Purple Beetle’s head. Electricity crackled through his body and he groaned in pain, but it didn’t seem to have much more of an affect.

Standing in the corner of the room, I cursed my uselessness. I should be helping, darn it! Just because I didn’t have the stupid meta-gene didn’t mean I had to do nothing!

But how could I help? I wasn’t strong or fast like Augustus or Jennifer. What could I do?

Yelling in frustration, I stomped my foot—

_And the floor cracked._

Yelping, I jerked away, staring at the cracks in the floor.

Had…had _I_ done that?

How—?

_“ANISSA!”_ Jennifer screamed.

_“Anissa, get down!”_ Augustus roared.

Glancing up, I saw a sonic blast headed right for me. Shrieking, I held up my hands—

And nothing happened.

Slowly lowering my hands, I stared at the sonic waves that were pushing into my body _and doing nothing._

_What_ in _God’s name…?_

“Anissa, you’re invincible!” Jennifer gasped.

“Yeah, but how?” I yelled.

Augustus blinked. “It would appear that your meta-gene has kicked in.”

“Hmm.” Purple Beetle ceased the sonic attack. “That is annoying.”

An idea occurred to me.

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg!” I said confidently.

Then I stomped my foot.

A massive shockwave shook the room and a hole appeared in the floor beneath Purple Beetle. He was too shocked to fly up like I’d seen Jaime do, so he fell through the floor and down into the living room. Augustus and Jennifer flew up and away from the hole.

“Good girl!” Augustus told me. “Though I do not know how we are going to fix the hole in the floor.”

“Take it out of my college fund.” I paused. “Wait, where’s Purple Beetle?” Running to the hole in the floor, I peered down with Augustus and Jennifer.

Purple Beetle was gone. Not a trace of him.

“Where’d he go?” Jennifer asked.

“Not a clue. But he is gone now,” Augustus assured us. “He is gone now.”

We all stared at each other for a minute. Then Jennifer burst into tears.

“What-what-what _was_ that?” she wailed. “We were—and he w-was—but—we—I—_what happened?”_

“Hush, hush.” Augustus moved forward and gathered both of us in his strong arms. Floating in midair, he held us close, rocking us back and forth, humming a soft lullaby I didn’t recognize. I buried my face in his shoulder and took deep breaths.

“All is well,” he crooned. “We are alive. We are uninjured.”

“But what if he comes back?” Jennifer whimpered.

“He will not come back,” Augustus said confidently.

“How-how can you be-be-be sure?” I stammered. “He might come back.”

“He will not, for we have put the fear of our family into him.”

That was fair. I buried my face in his shoulder and inhaled the comforting scent of his cologne.

“In any case, Purple Beetle coming back is not what we need to worry about.”

“What do we need to be worried about?” Jennifer asked.

“What happens when your mother comes back and sees what we did to the house.”

Jennifer and I burst out laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll see more of Purple Beetle later. And yay, cute moments between Augustus and Anissa!


	93. White Beetle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> White Beetle attacks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super emotional about the abusive douchebag comics Bruce Wayne has become so here, take this.

**Carter Hall-Sanders**

The boom tube woke me up.

I had been resting on my side, my wings curled around Shiera, my hands held protectively over her stomach. My sleep had been peaceful, full of dreams of a laughing child. Now I was just annoyed.

Grumbling, I untangled myself from Shiera and stood, stretching my arms and wings. If this was Violet or Victor, I was going to give them a piece of my—

I heard Mary and Darla shriek, _“Shazam!”_

Thunder clapped.

Immediately I was out of the bedroom and flying to the room Mary and Darla shared. I grabbed my mace from where it hung on the wall and threw their door open to find—

_What_ in the _name of—_

A Thanagarian was standing in the middle of Mary and Darla’s bedroom, only this Thanagarian was wearing white armor quite similar to that of Jaime when he was in Beetle form. He was attempting to fire a plasma cannon at Darla, who was rushing around him faster than I could see while Mary blocked the plasma cannon with her fists.

“What is going on here?” I yelled.

The Thanagarian turned to me, revealing a Hawk helmet that looked similar to—to—

I swallowed. “Commander Talak?”

Commander Talak hummed. “Hro Talak is no more. Now there is only White Beetle.”

“Another Beetle?” Mary shook her head in disgust. “As if Black Beetle wasn’t bad enough!”

“What do we do?” Darla cried, coming to a halt.

“We fight him! Darla, get away!” Darla sped to the side and, lunging forward, I slammed my mace into Commander Talak’s—no, White Beetle, he was White Beetle now—face, knocking him onto his back.

“Subdue, injure if necessary, but do not kill!” I ordered.

“You don’t have to tell us twice!” Mary flew forward and kicked White Beetle in the side, sending him flying into the wall.

Wings fluttered behind me and Shiera was beside me, her sword in hand. “What is this?” she gasped. “Commander Talak?”

“He’s White Beetle now,” Darla reported.

“Where are the boys?” I asked as White Beetle jumped to his feet. “Should they not be here by now?”

“Freddy can sleep through a hurricane and Billy sleeps with headphones in,” Mary said. “Typical teenage boys, you know?”

“No,” Shiera and I replied as White Beetle shot forward.

Before we could react, Darla was in front of him, knocking him back with one hit. She hit him with a series of punches too fast to see, rocking him.

“Darla, now!” Shiera yelled.

Darla flew back and Shiera moved in, jabbing with her sword.

Not for the wings.

Never for the wings.

Those were too precious to any Thanagarian, possessed or not.

No, Shiera jabbed for the knee.

Safer that way.

Her sword opened a gash in his armor and she had to duck to avoid a slash of White Beetle’s blade.

“Mary! Ideas?” I called.

“None that I can think of other than incapacitate him long enough to knock him out.” Mary lunged forward and kicked White Beetle in the face, knocking him back. I took the opportunity to slam my mace into his head, forcing him to the ground where he did not move.

“Is he unconscious?” Darla asked nervously.

Mary poked him with her foot. “I believe so, yes.”

“Great.” I lowered my mace. “Darla, fetch some rope if you would. We need to contain him—”

A boom tube cracked open below White Beetle.

_“Get back!”_ Mary shrieked.

We all leaped away and watched as White Beetle sank through the boom tube and it closed.

“Wonderful,” Darla sighed. “Now what?”

I did not know how to answer it.

Footsteps sounded, then Billy was in the doorway. “Did I just hear a boom tube?” he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

Mary clapped a hand to her forehead.

“Is this really what all teenage boys are like?” I asked her.

“Yes,” she and Darla said at the same time.

I looked at Shiera. “Please try to have a daughter.”

My wife shrugged. “No promises.”

“Seriously, what happened?” Billy yawned.

Mary sighed.


	94. Black Beetle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Black Beetle attacks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't post on Wednesday…I was just worried about this chapter.
> 
> Trigger warning for slight underage sexual content. Not real, just imagined.

**Jaime Reyes**

_Bart was a vision beneath me, his legs wrapped around my waist, moaning softly. He was grinding against me, flushed with exertion._

_ Behind me, Ed was murmuring sweet nothings into my ear as his fingers, warm and calloused, ran up and down my sides._

“Muy bueno, mi cielo,”_ Ed murmured into my ear. _“Muy bueno.” Very good, my sky.

_ Beneath me, Bart shuddered. “Please,” he breathed. “Please, touch me, Jaime, Jaime, _Jaime—!”

_ “As you wish, _cariño,”_ I breathed. Reaching below us, I ran my fingers down his stomach, teasing the patch of auburn hair just above his flushed length._

_ Ed seemed to have a similar idea, since he wrapped his own hand around my own manhood. I shuddered, arching into his touch._

_ Meanwhile, Bart was making small noises of pleasure as my fingers wrapped around his length. I stroked up and down the velvety flesh, reveling in the squeaks my movements produced._

_ A tongue lapped at my back near where _Khaji Da_ was attached and I gasped at the unexpected pleasure. Ed let out a low laugh as he continued to kiss and lick the skin near my scarab._

_ “Jaime,” Bart whimpered. “Jaime.”_

“Dios mio,_ you have the most perfect voice for begging,” I said to him. “Say my name again.”_

_ “Jaime!” Bart cried, arching his back as I twisted my hand around the reddened tip. “Jaime Reyes!”_

_ I blinked. “Okay, you don’t have to say my whole name. It makes you sound like _Khaji Da.”

_ Suddenly, there was a burning sensation on my back. I heard _Khaji Da_ shriek with pain._

_ “Ed?” I gasped. “Ed, stop, that hurts!”_

_ For some reason, Ed ignored me._

_ “Jaime Reyes!” Bart moaned. “Jaime Reyes!”_

_ “Stop!” I yelled. “Stop it!”_

Jaime Reyes, wake up!

I woke up with a rampaging hard-on and a horrible pain in my back.

_Jaime Reyes! Khaji Da_ was screaming. _Jaime Reyes, wake up!_

“What!” Cracking my eyes open, I looked up—and groaned in exasperation.

Because standing above me in his full, armored glory was Black Beetle. And his feelers were attached to _Khaji Da._

_Fight him! Khaji Da_ bellowed. _Fight the Black Beetle!_

“Oh, so _now_ you don’t want to join them!” I yelled.

_I thought we were on the losing side Khaji Da_ grumbled. _Now fight the Black Beetle!_

“Right!” My armor clicked into place around me and I allowed _Khaji Da_ to reach out and force our power back onto Black Beetle.

Slowly, the pain in my back faded as Black Beetle’s feelers turned blue. He growled and pushed back. I pushed harder.

Then a boom tube opened on the wall opposite my bed.

Ripping his feelers away, Black Beetle flew away and into the boom tube.

“No!” I jumped up—

But it was too late. The boom tube closed, and I had to jerk back to avoid slamming into the wall.

There was a flash of golden light, then Ed was standing beside me, his hands held out like he wanted to touch me but had stopped himself.

“What happened?” he gasped.

“Black Beetle’s back,” I rasped, the adrenaline from battle and arousal still having a cockfight in my veins. “Where’s Bart?”

“He went to check on Jay and Joan.” Ed eased toward me, his hands gripping my shoulders. His body was pressed close and I had never been more grateful for the body armor that hid my groin. “Are you all right?”

Before I could respond, a scream filled the air.

_Bart’s_ scream.

We didn’t even discuss it. Ed teleported to Bart and I flew out of the room and into Jay and Joan’s room, where the scream had come from. Touching down, I saw Bart kneeling before their bed where—

Where—

_Dios mio._

I gagged.

Because lying there were the butchered bodies of Jay and Joan.

Ed was wrapped around Bart, who was shrieking like a wounded animal. Without thinking, I crashed down next to them and gathered them in my arms, tucking Bart’s head beneath my chin and resting my forehead against Ed’s.

The front door burst open.

Whirling around, I morphed my arm into a plasma cannon—

Chris and Mia flew into the room. “What hap—?” Mia cut herself off when she saw the bodies on the bed. “Oh. Oh _no.”_

Bart wailed. Ed let out a roar of pain. And I just stood there, shock burning its way through my body.

Jay and Joan were dead.

Jay and Joan were dead.

_Jay and Joan were dead._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope this went well…also sorry.


	95. Visit From A Teacher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason, Cass, and Damian run into Slade on patrol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have Slade, ready to fuck things up and lust after poor Dick.

**Damian Wayne**

“And you are sure?” I said through the comms as I raced after Orphan through the night sky. “You are absolutely positive it is him?”

“Yep. It’s definitely Deathstroke,” Red Hood reported. “I saw him mowing down a couple of thugs on Ripper. If that’s not him trying to get our attention, then I don’t know what is.”

“Right. And you have got eyes on him?”

“Yeah. I haven’t exactly been subtle about it.” Red Hood snickered. “Now he’s just standing on a rooftop. I think he’s waiting for us. Typical.”

“How polite of him,” I deadpanned. “You think he is looking for one of us in particular or just a random Knight? Or, you know, Nightwing.”

“If he wanted Nightwing, he’d have gone straight to the manor. Deathstroke’s smart. He knows when Nightwing patrols and when we do. He wants us.”

“And he will get us.” I spotted Deathstroke’s imposing figure on the next building over. “We have him in our sights. Move in.”

“Got it.”

I landed on the rooftop mere seconds after Orphan. I did not bother drawing my sword—if Deathstroke wanted to attack us, he would have done so earlier. If he was waiting for us, it meant he wanted to talk.

Great.

Deathstroke turned around after Red Hood had landed. “Good evening, children. Jason, Cassandra, Damian,” he greeted each of us in turn. He was not wearing his mask. Interesting. “Shall we do away with the masks? They make our conversations feel more like business meetings than chats between a mentor and his pupils.”

I glanced at Red Hood, who nodded, then removed my mask. Orphan pulled off her hood and mask and Red Hood yanked off his own hood and facemask.

“Happy?” Todd asked Deathstroke.

Deathstroke smiled, a minor quirk of his lips. “Quite.” He squinted in my direction. “Did you get a new scar since I last saw you?”

I knew he was referring to my cheek. “Got nicked by a bullet.”

“Mmm.” Deathstroke redirected his gaze to Todd. “I like what you’ve done with your hair.”

Todd tossed his head, showing off his multicolored curls. “Wish I could say the same for you.”

Deathstroke chuckled. “Always with a quip. I like that about you.” He redirected to Cain. “You, young lady, are looking less and less like your parents every day. Tell me, are you _actively_altering your appearance or is it just me?”

Cain exhaled harshly through her nose.

“All right, then. Guess that’s me told.” Deathstroke’s smile turned from teasing to lustful. “Tell me, how’s that gorgeous brother of yours?”

Todd sighed. “What do you _want,_ Slade.”

“What, can’t a man come talk to his own students?” Deathstroke asked innocently.

“You never want to talk, you either want to kill us or detain us for whatever reason.” A thought occurred to me. “I take it the Light is busy, then. Tell me, is it Klarion this time? Is he pulling some kind of mystic mayhem? Or has Savage decided to wreak some havoc with the Warworld?”

Deathstroke clicked his tongue. “You children know me too well. Fine. I’m here to stall you.”

“But for what? Is there an operation going down?” Todd paused. “Or are you holding a funeral for Queen Bee?”

“Ah, yes. Our fallen member.” Deathstroke put a hand to his heart in mock pity. “She will be missed.”

“What, pissed that you’re _out_ of her bed or pissed that you couldn’t get _in_ it?” Todd sneered.

Deathstroke snorted. “You of all people should know that my tastes lie elsewhere. And she had thralls to occupy her time. I’m just impressed you remembered to burn the body.”

“Please.” My fingers went up to touch the cursed white streak in my hair. “You of all people should remember how familiar we are with the Lazarus Pit. You know we would never allow her to be resurrected.”

“Fair.” Deathstroke examined the fingers on his gloves. “So, got any other questions for me?”

“Does this have anything to do with the Yellow Beetle murder last night?” Todd asked.

Deathstroke nodded. “Correct. Very good work.”

“I’m still a detective at heart.” Todd sucked on his bottom lip. “Let me guess—you’re staging simultaneous attacks on various members of the Justice League and their various teams and distracting us to keep us from helping them.”

“Correct again.”

“Oh. Huh.” I glanced at Cain, who shrugged. “Is that all?”

“Yes.” Deathstroke raised an eyebrow. “I assumed you’d be more worried about them.”

“Not necessarily.” I began to tick things off of my fingers. “They can take care of themselves, and we cannot babysit them every single time some arbitrary danger pops up. Besides, I doubt they would want _our_ help, given their stance on our methods.”

Deathstroke shook his head. “Such ungrateful partners. I don’t know why you’re working with them.”

Todd sighed, rubbing his face. “Haven’t we been over this before? We stand against everything _you_ stand for, and so do they. Why _wouldn’t_ we partner up?”

“Because the Justice League and their sidekicks don’t kill that often, with the exception of their little freelancer group—and the Outsiders, if my information is correct.” Deathstroke examined his glove again. “Honestly, I’m surprised they haven’t tried to arrest you by now.”

I nodded in Cain’s direction. “We put the fear of the Knights into them.”

Cain smirked, a sharp, dangerous thing.

“Good for you.” Deathstroke pursed his lips. “Have you told them who you are, or are you waiting for them to figure it out?”

“The latter, actually.” Todd stared at Deathstroke. “What about you? Have you told your fellows about who we really are?”

Deathstroke shook his head. “Not yet. Ra’s and I have agreed to wait for them to figure things out on their own.”

It took an effort to keep from stiffening at the mention of _Jid._ The bastard was in my head enough of the time, I did not need to hear more about him than that.

“Tell me, have you been in contact with your family recently?” Deathstroke directed the question at me. “Your grandfather pretends not to care, but I know he’s curious about you. And _you,”_he threw a glance at Todd, “broke poor Talia’s heart when you, ahem, _ran away_ with her baby boy.”

“We cut any and all ties with them years ago,” I snarled. “Much like your children did with you.”

Deathstroke mocked a flinch. “Harsh.” He looked to Cain. “What about you over there? Still want to kill dear ol’ dad?”

Cain nodded sharply.

“Typical.” Deathstroke’s watch beeped and he glanced at it. “Sorry, kiddos, my time’s up. Been nice talking to you though. Oh, and I’ll send you the casualty list later.”

Casualty list?

Oh _no._

Pulling a Fatherbox out of his belt, Deathstroke opened a boom tube. He winked as he stepped through it and disappeared, the air closing with a crack.

_Horrible man Jid_ muttered.

For once I agreed with him.

“What now?” I looked at Todd. “He said there were casualties.”

“And there’s nothing we can do about that now.” Todd had put his hood and facemask back in place and now Red Hood was staring at me. “We’ll finish our patrol and get some sleep. Then we’ll deal with this in the morning.”

He ran and jumped off the roof before I could reply, no doubt heading for the Narrows.

Face hidden once again, Orphan squeezed my shoulder before flying off in the same direction as Red Hood.

Gritting my teeth, I stared at the mask in my hands.

Blinked a few times.

_“Damn it,”_ I cursed, donning my mask and running after my two partners.

Tomorrow was going to be a _long_ day.


	96. Project Division Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teekl does some musing and sometimes sees too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse for the pairings. Most of it is crack.

**Teekl**

Raven was being oddly still.

Frowning, I jumped onto the examination table and prodded her with my paw. She did not stir.

“Witch-Boy,” I called. “Something is wrong here.”

“Shush, Teekl!” Witch-Boy yelled. “I’m trying to decide what to do with little miss _Raven_here.”

“But she has not stirred for some time now.” I nudged her with my nose. Still no response. “Even with the cerebral leash, she should respond to touch.”

“Well maybe she’s just napping.” Witch-Boy waved a dismissive hand.

I sighed. Honestly, this boy was too dense for his own good.

Sitting down, I continued to eye Raven as I cleaned my paw. She was a fascinating specimen, to be sure. A daughter of the Devil, and a Deadly Sin at that? She would surely make for an interesting subject for Witch-Boy’s experiments.

Assuming Trigon did not come to find his daughter. But then, he was a worse father than Savage and Deathstroke and Darkseid combined, so I doubted he would come calling.

And if he did, he might make a fine addition to the Light.

That or Witch-Boy would kill him. Now _that_ would be interesting to watch.

Suddenly, Raven stirred.

Setting my paw down, I leaned forward and sniffed.

Something _very_ interesting was happening here.

Raven’s mouth opened and a large black mist came spilling out of it.

I hissed. “Witch-Boy, something is occurring!”

“What, Teekl!” Witch-Boy snapped, turning around. “I’m _trying_ to _focus_ here—!”

He gasped. “Her soul is escaping her body!”

Indeed, the mist had taken the form of a bubble that was floating higher and higher.

“Stop it!” I yowled. “Stop her soul from escaping!”

“How?” Witch-Boy yelled.

I rolled my eyes. “A containment spell, perhaps?” Honestly, how this boy had survived before me was a mystery I had yet to figure out.

“Oh, yeah!” Witch-Boy thrust out his hand and a blast of energy shot for Raven’s soul—

And dissipated.

“Dang it!” Witch-Boy cursed.

Raven’s soul began to vibrate.

“Teekl, get down!” Witch-Boy yelped.

Jumping down from the examination table, I watched as the bubble disappeared in a flash of black light.

“She escaped,” I noted, my tail beating against the floor. “That could have unpleasant consequences.”

“She’s gone!” Witch-Boy whined, stomping his foot on the ground. “I want her back! I want her I want her I want her!”

I sighed through my nose. So immature. How _I_ survived _him_ was another mystery I had yet to solve.

The door to our laboratory hissed open and the Reach Scientist stepped through. “Klarion,” she clicked. “The Light is holding a meeting.”

Witch-Boy groaned. “Oh, _fine.”_ He snapped his fingers. “Here, Teekl.”

Trying to hide my irritation at being summoned like some lackey, I crossed the room and jumped up to rest on Witch-Boy’s shoulders.

The Reach Scientist led us out of the laboratory and down the hall to the Warworld’s meeting room, where the rest of the Light were already gathered. Savage, of course, sat at the head of the table, flanked by Deathstroke and an empty chair where Witch-Boy would sit. Next to Deathstroke was Ultra-Humanite, followed by Bad Samarian. Next to Witch-Boy’s seat was Luthor and an empty chair, which the Reach Scientist claimed.

In front of the table stood Black Beetle, flanked by Beetles Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Indigo, Purple, and White. His arms were crossed, and he looked displeased.

“Excellent,” Savage murmured as Witch-Boy took his seat. “Report.” He nodded at Black Beetle. “I take it from Blue Beetle’s absence that you failed to reset him.”

Black Beetle huffed. “Unfortunately. The boy woke up before I could finish and fought back. I did manage to succeed in killing the meat designated Jay and Joan Garrick.”

“Well done, Warrior,” the Reach Scientist said. “As for the rest of you?”

“I was unable to kill any of the Kryptonian warriors,” Red Beetle said, “though I did succeed in distracting them.”

“I successfully eliminated the Tamaranian prince and princess, as well as retrieve Raven for study,” Orange Beetle said. “How goes that?” she asked Witch-Boy.

“Badly,” Witch-Boy snapped, “since her soul escaped her body and left for who knows where!”

The Reach Scientist raised an eyebrow. “Her soul left her body? How fascinating.”

“Hardly fascinating,” I sniffed. “She could warn the others of our machinations.”

“Yeah,” Witch-Boy agreed, scratching my chin. “She could warn the others about us.”

Savage hummed. “An interesting development. Klarion,” he directed at us, “I am assigning this task to you. Hunt down Raven’s soul and prevent her from sharing information of our plans.”

Witch-Boy grinned. “My pleasure.” I nodded in agreement.

“And the rest of you?” Luthor asked.

“As ordered, I threw the fight against the telepath and allowed her to access Project Division,” Yellow Beetle said.

“I was unable to kill Garfield Logan, as his wench intervened,” Green Beetle said. “She held her own against me, an interesting development, but I was recalled before I could kill her for her insolence.”

Deathstroke chuckled. “I would expect nothing less from the daughter of the Lion of Vlatava.”

“That being said, Vlatava has been a thorn in our side for some time, as has Markovia,” Luthor mused. “Both should be taken out as soon as possible. _Discreetly,_ though. We cannot have the public learning of us so soon.”

“Agreed.” Savage nodded at Bad Samaritan. “Do what you must.”

Bad Samaritan bowed his head. “As you wish.”

“Did you manage to take out the Markovs?” the Reach Scientist asked Indigo Beetle.

“No,” Indigo Beetle said. “I did manage to kill the bug. A critical blow, if my knowledge of their love for the creature is correct.”

“They will no doubt bury the body,” Ultra-Humanite huffed. “Pity. I would have loved to examine their physiology.”

“You could always go to New Genesis yourself and kill one of them,” Deathstroke suggested.

Ultra-Humanite tilted his head. “An enticing option. I will consider it.”

“Excellent.” Savage nodded at the Beetles. “Continue.”

“I could not kill the Terminan,” Purple Beetle said. “However, I did discover something interesting. The eldest child of Black Lightning has come into her meta-gene.”

“Really.” Luthor leaned forward. “Describe her powers.”

“She was invulnerable to sonic beams, and she produced a sonic step that broke through the floor.”

“Fascinating.” Luthor drummed his fingers on the table. “She would make a valuable asset.”

“Wouldn’t all the children?” Savage nodded to White Beetle. “Continue.”

“I was unable to kill the Hawks and the children,” White Beetle said.

“That’s not as many deaths as we hoped for,” Savage mused. “However, we are satisfied. And what of you, Deathstroke? Did you distract the Knights?”

“I did.” I could tell Deathstroke was smirking beneath his mask. “They were quite interesting to deal with.”

Something about that statement did not seem right. I was tempted to call him on it but decided it would be much more amusing to see where this went without my interference.

“The Knights.” Ultra-Humanite frowned—well, he was always frowning, but he frowned harder. “They concern me.”

“And me as well. They kill and they torture.” Bad Samaritan wrinkled his nose. “Hardly Justice League material.”

“Indeed.” Savage tapped a finger on the table. “Perhaps they could be swayed to our side.”

Deathstroke snorted. “I don’t see that happening, Savage. They hate Ra’s and myself something fierce, and I highly doubt they would like any of you much better.”

The Reach Scientist raised an eyebrow. “How are they connected with Ra’s?”

“That’s Ra’s’ business.” Deathstroke leaned back in his seat. “You want to know, go ask him.”

Interesting.

“Maybe we will. But that’s a subject for later. Deathstroke,” Savage addressed the mercenary, “I’m assigning you to the Knight case. Find a way to either turn them or kill them.”

“I’ll do my best, but I foresee the latter being our best option,” Deathstroke remarked.

Again, interesting. Perhaps I would have to have Witch-Boy probe Deathstroke’s mind, just to see what he was hiding about these Knights.

“Still, I feel that more could be done.” Savage nodded to Luthor. “Is Project Suicide Squad in place?”

“Indeed.” Luthor smiled savagely—ha. “I believe we have Waller convinced. What say you, Zviad? Has she been swayed?”

Bad Samaritan nodded. “Yes. She took minimal convincing.”

“She now believes that there are convicted terrorists living in the lighthouse in Amnesty Bay?” Ultra-Humanite asked.

“Yes,” Bad Samaritan confirmed. “If my intelligence is correct, she is sending her Suicide Squad to attack at dawn. And we know that Black Manta will have no problem killing Aquaman’s parents and his ex-lover and replacement, not to mention whoever is stupid enough to defend them.”

“Excellent. You all have your assignments—Klarion will handle Miss Raven. Zviad will attempt to spark uprisings in Markovia and Vlatava. Deathstroke will attempt to take the Knights out of the picture or bring them into the fold. The rest of you will continue to prepare for Project Inclusion.” Savage folded his hands on the table. “Dismissed.”

Everyone stood and made their way out of the room—except for Witch-Boy. My fur prickled with foreboding.

Savage raised an eyebrow at Witch-Boy. “You need something, Klarion?”

“No, no.” Witch-Boy smiled seductively. “Just thought you’d enjoy my company. It’s been a while since we’ve spent any time together.”

Savage’s lips quirked up. “That it has been, Klarion.”

Taking that as my cue, I jumped down from Witch-Boy’s shoulders and bolted for the door, nearly sliding into the wall opposite it as it closed with a thud.

Shaking myself, I decided to go back to the laboratory, maybe try to clear my head of Witch-Boy’s sexy talk. Honestly it made me want to cough up a hairball.

I padded down the hallway to the laboratory, then stopped when I heard voices.

It was the Reach Scientist and Black Beetle. I sat down outside of the laboratory to listen in.

“—do not understand your willingness to work with the meat,” Black Beetle was saying. “They betrayed us in the past. Who is to say they will not betray us again?”

“They betrayed us last time because we were trying to conquer their planet,” the Reach Scientist replied. “This time will be different.”

“And you know this for certain?”

“I coerced Savage into swearing a blood oath that he and the rest of the meat of the Light would not betray us. And besides, our goal is no longer to conquer Earth, but to supplant the Green Lantern Corps as the police force of the multiverses,” the Reach Scientist said. “Then we will be able to conquer any planet we wish.”

“But not Earth,” Black Beetle pointed out.

“No, not Earth,” the Reach Scientist agreed. “But the Light has its own battles to fight. Let Earth and Apokolips destroy each other. When they are dead, the Reach shall rise as the conquerors of this and every universe. And if the Earth somehow survives, well…it will be nice to have friends in high places.”

“And if Apokolips survives?”

“Then we destroy Apokolips.”

Black Beetle rumbled. “You are playing a dangerous game, Scientist. You know I will support your decisions, but this is quite the risk to take.”

“I am not worried,” the Reach Scientist purred. “I have you.”

Black Beetle hummed, then—

Oh mother of chaos, were they _kissing?_

I poked my head through the doorway and sure enough, they were kissing each other.

_Ew._

And here I had assumed the Reach to be asexual. An interesting concept, and one that could be exploited should the need arise.

The kiss deepened and I decided to make myself scarce. Retreating, I decided to go and peruse the hallways. Perhaps something could be found to amuse me.

As I strolled out of the laboratory wing and into the bedroom wing, I pondered the various romances going on within the Warworld and thought back to my own romantic adventures.

It had been three years since I had last taken a lover—an eternity for some, but I had gone millennia without communication with a single soul, so this was paltry compared to that torment. But sometimes I missed the connection I got from lovers.

I wondered how Dex-Starr was doing. We had parted on good terms when he had been called away by his fellow Red Lanterns for chaos knew why, but he had promised that he would find me again someday. That day had yet to come and to be honest, I was considering seeking him out, if only for some mildly sane company.

I was about to exit the bedroom wing when I heard sniffling coming from the last door. Curious, I peered inside to see Savage’s newest daughter Cassandra—though she had recently been going by Scandal—sitting on her bed, tears pouring down her face.

Strange—it had been millennia since I had last cried, and Witch-Boy had never cried in my living memory. Usually whenever I saw tears, they were from our captives, and while those were fun to watch, misery not caused by Witch-Boy and I always piqued my interest.

Stepping into the room, I asked, “Why do you cry?”

Scandal started, then relaxed when she saw me. “Oh. Hey, Teekl. Sorry. You scared me.”

She didn’t answer my question and I sighed. It was always annoying when people could not understand me. It made communication so much harder.

“Please don’t tell my father about this,” she said, wiping her face. “It’s stupid, really. I just…”

She fixed me with a piercing gaze. “Can you keep a secret?”

As long as it benefits me. I nodded anyway.

“It’s…” Scandal bit her lip. “I was thinking about my older sister Olympia.”

I raised an eyebrow. I had not known Scandal had an older sister.

“Anyway, she’s dead now.” Scandal chuckled darkly. “Father killed her.”

Savage had killed his own daughter? Despite myself, I blinked. That was harsh, even for Savage. This only reinforced what I thought earlier—Savage was a terrible father.

“I just…I just…” Scandal swallowed. “I always knew that Father was a cruel man. I…but I didn’t expect him to actually _kill_ Olympia. She…she was my friend. The only friend I had. I just…”

She shook her head. “I just don’t _understand.”_

I licked my nose. “I would not pretend to understand your father’s ways either.”

Scandal gave me a watery smile. “Thanks, Teekl. I needed that.”

I sniffed. Really, was it too hard to get more people to speak cat? I was getting pretty annoyed of only having Witch-Boy to talk to.

Maybe I would seek out Dex-Starr after all.

And anyway, what was the point of consoling her? I could not very well tell her she was not expendable. That would be a blatant lie. This was war, and all save the core seven of the Light were expendable.

I wondered how long it would take this girl to learn that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	97. Initiate Project Suicide Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate just wanted a drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heed the tags!

**Kate Kane**

I really wanted a fucking drink.

Or at least a really, really powerful sleeping aid.

I was plopped in the medical bay of the cave, staring at the room where Alfred kept all of the medicine. There were hard drugs in there, ones that would give me the high of a bottle of vodka.

And I _wanted_ it.

Damn me to Hell, I wanted that high _so fucking badly._

But I couldn’t do that.

I knew better than that.

So I sat here and stared at the medicine room, unable to look away.

Footsteps sounded, then someone sat next to me. “Rough night?” came Harper’s voice.

I glanced over and smiled weakly at my daughter. “Something like that. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for work?”

Harper shrugged. “I don’t have to go in until eleven. So I figured I’d come and keep you company while you play chicken with the medicine room.”

I huffed. “I’m not playing _chicken._ I’m just…” I trailed off, unsure of how to proceed from there.

“Playing chicken.” Harper sighed, leaning against me. “Trust me, I get it. Do you have any idea how many times I stay like this in front of the knife drawer?”

The very thought made me shudder. I wrapped my arm around my daughter, pressing a kiss to her head.

“What was it this time?” Harper asked.

I bit my lip. “It was his death—Forager’s,” I clarified. “I just—I remember seeing him on the news, meeting him on the Watchtower. It…he reminded me so much of a young Bette that it fucking _hurt.”_

Harper hummed. “I feel that. He reminded me of Cullen. So sweet and kind and giving…” She laughed weakly. _“God_ I miss him.”

“I miss her,” I countered. “We’re both missing people.”

“You got that right.” Harper ran a hand through her hair.

“Ordinarily, this is the part where I’d get rip-roaring drunk and yank the other person down with me,” I said, “except you’re my daughter and you’re underage and I’m not allowed to drink.”

“And ordinarily, this is the part where I’d try to carve up my arms with a butcher knife,” Harper returned, “except the knives are locked up.”

“We’re just two messes with great hair, aren’t we?” I chuckled.

“Damn straight.” Harper tucked her head under my chin. “Love you, _Mamãe.”_

“Love you too, darling.” I pressed a kiss to her head.

An alarm rang through the med bay, sending both of us to our feet.

“I think that’s the Suicide Squad alarm,” I said.

_“Shit,”_ Harper groaned and we both ran to the Batcomputer.

There are various alarms for various scenarios. Tim, being Tim, decided to give them different tones so we would be able to differentiate between them. Halsey’s Castle for the Assassins, Sofia Karlberg’s Crazy In Love for the Shadows, so on so forth.

Eminem’s Without Me was for Waller’s eternally damned Suicide Squad.

Hatred crawled up my spine.

I’ve despised the Suicide Squad ever since one of its members, _El Diablo,_ went rogue. He came to Gotham and went on a rampage. Bette and I were sent to stop him, and I did, but not before that fucker _burned Bette alive. The Devil._

She might have survived—the burns were third-degree, but survivable—if it weren’t for the pain. I heard her screaming even above the bang of my rifle. She died from _pain,_ not from any injury that fucking piece of _shit_ inflicted on her.

And it was for that reason that I wished I could have made _El Diablo_ truly _suffer._

I would always settle for Waller, though. It was her idea to let those criminals out into public, and ultimately it was _her_ inattentiveness that led to _El Diablo_ escaping and _her_ decision to let him rampage until he burned himself out.

Oh, I would _definitely_ enjoy carving Bette’s name into her back.

We reached the Batcomputer and Harper settled herself into the chair, bringing up the Suicide Squad report.

“Uh. Let’s see.” Harper blew a strand of hair out of her face. “Looks like Waller’s sending the Suicide Squad to take down a possible terrorist nest in—” She choked. _“Amnesty Bay?”_

My blood went cold. “That’s where Aquaman’s parents live, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, along with a Hell of a lot of his friends!” Harper gazed at me. Her face was full of alarm. “We have to tell them!”

I nodded. “Open communications to—_fuck,_ we don’t _have_ communications in Atlantis!” _Damn _those technologically advanced motherfuckers!

“I’ll try the Watchtower.” Harper started typing.

“We should send reinforcements—they’ll _definitely_ need them. Didn’t Waller recruit Deadshot into that group?”

“And KGBeast,” Harper listed. “And Afterthought. And Magog. And Killer Frost. And Slipknot. And Brick. And Enchantress. And King Shark. And Bane. And Harley Quinn.”

“Harley?” My eyebrows shot up. “They nabbed _Harley?_ How the Hell did that happen? _Surely _Pam would have rescued her by now!”

“She’s in Arkham after that last stunt with the GCPD.” Harper groaned, banging her fists on the table. “Well _that’s_ just _perfect._ So on top of _those_ heavy-hitters, we’ve got Boomerang, Mallah, and Manta, all primed to take out innocents. _Fan-fucking-tastic.”_

“Go get Jason, Cassandra, and Damian,” I instructed. “They send heavy-hitters? Fine. So do we.”

Harper nodded and ran off.

Taking her seat, I opened up a link to the Watchtower.

“Superman speaking,” Superman answered. “What do you need?”

“I need you to put me through to Aquaman and his crew,” I bit out, my voice unaccented and harsh. “We have a serious problem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters left!


	98. Project Suicide Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaldur and the Atlanteans get into some trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.

**Kaldur’ahm**

I could not look away.

_Koriand’r._

_ Ryand’r._

_ Rachel._

_ Forager._

_ Jay._

_ Joan._

All dead in the span of one night.

Beside me, Wyynde was shaking his head. “This…this is out of control.”

Tula was openly weeping, as was Garth, tears flowing out of their eyes and into the water around us. Dolphin’s face was buried in La’gaan’s chest. He stroked her hair, making soothing noises in the back of his throat.

Artur was biting his lip, worried. I knew he was concerned for us, but also for Lian on the surface world—wondering if the girl he loved would survive.

“She is on the Watchtower for now,” I told him gently. “She will be safe.”

Artur said nothing, but I caught the flicker of gratitude in his eyes.

Queen Mera was swimming back and forth in front of the screen listing our casualties, shaking her head. “This is unbelievable,” she said to herself. “Six dead—_six!_ In _one night!”_

“They’re trying to thin our herds,” King Arthur mused. “Thin out our allies. Or cause emotional damage, whichever comes first.”

“They are certainly succeeding,” Wyynde bit out. “Your Majesty, I must insist we retreat to the Watchtower to keep ourselves safe.”

“You can go ahead. I want to stay in Atlantis and protect our people,” King Arthur said.

“Orm can handle that, Arthur,” Queen Mera told him gently. “He may be traitorous scum, but he loves Atlantis very much.”

“He has an inhibitor collar on, no weapons, and no one in the palace will listen to him after his attempt on my life,” Artur pointed out. “Nevertheless, I agree with you, Mother. We should retreat to the Watchtower and strategize with the rest of the heroes.”

King Arthur raised an eyebrow. “When did you become so wise, kiddo?”

Artur shrugged. “Since I started hanging out with Kaldur.”

Despite myself, I smiled.

A screen popped up in front of us, revealing Clark’s face.

“Hey,” King Arthur greeted. “What’s up—?”

“You need to get to Amnesty Bay,” Clark interrupted. “I just got word from Batwoman. Amanda Waller is sending her Suicide Squad to attack a terrorist group hiding in your father’s lighthouse.”

I blinked.

_What?_

King Arthur scoffed. “There aren’t any terrorists hiding in there.”

“No, but your parents are, as are mine and Cailleach,” I slowly realized. “If they mean to attack—”

“Then they will likely be slaughtered,” Queen Mera finished grimly.

“We have to help them!” Artur yelled. “Quick! To the Zeta Tube!”

We all bolted out of the meeting room and swam hard for the Zeta Tube, almost crashing into Prince Orm as we went.

“Damn you!” Prince Orm growled. “Can you not watch where you are—?”

“Not now, Orm!” King Arthur yelled. “Our mother is in danger. Will you help us?”

Prince Orm blanched and nodded. “Yes. For our mother.”

This seemed like a colossally bad idea, but I was far too worried about my parents to question it.

“Don’t make me regret this,” King Arthur warned him before snapping the inhibitor collar off of his neck.

That finished, we all swam for the Zeta Tube. I barely remembered to put my feet on the ground as I ran into the bright light—

—and into the basement of Thomas Curry’s home.

Grouping together, we all glanced around.

“It…does not look like anyone is attacking,” Queen Mera remarked.

Suddenly Cailleach in her blue form fell through the ceiling and onto the ground. There was a smoking hole where her heart should have been.

“Is she—?” Dolphin gasped.

“Dead,” Wyynde said grimly.

Tula sobbed.

That was when I heard the sounds of battle coming from outside.

“Move, move!” Queen Mera launched herself up and out of the hole in the ceiling, the rest of us following. We burst out of the house and saw a group of people circling around Lady Atlanna and my father Calvin Durham. Lady Atlanna wielded her trident in a defensive position and my father held an energy gun. I only knew some of the people surrounding them though—namely King Shark, Killer Frost, Monsieur Mallah, Captain Boomerang, Bane, Brick, Magog, and Manta. The others were mysteries to me.

“Mom! Calvin!” King Arthur bellowed, then glared at the people surrounding them. “Release them at once!”

Captain Boomerang stepped forward. “Sorry there, Aquaman,” he drawled, “but we’re under orders to kill the dangerous terrorists staying in this lighthouse, see?”

“You know damn well they aren’t criminals, Boomerang,” King Arthur snarled. “Release them at once!”

“You just don’t get how this whole Suicide Squad thing works, do you?” A pale skinned woman in a red and black bikini top, shorts, leggings, and sneakers with pink and blue dye at the end of her blonde hair sneered at us. “We’re under orders, you fucking morons! If we disobey, we get our heads blown off! So no, we won’t be standing down.”

“Then you leave us no choice.” Queen Mera’s tattoos came to life. “If you will not stand down, we will stop you.”

I drew my water-bearers and summoned my blades. Garth, Wyynde, and Tula’s tattoos glowed. La’gaan’s body grew to his pufferfish form. Dolphin and Prince Orm struck offensive positions. Water curled around Artur’s fists. King Arthur held up his trident.

Killer Frost snickered. “Well, we _did_ warn you.”

An explosion shook the ground—from _behind_ us. We all whirled around—at the same time the Suicide Squad attacked.

Pure instinct had me ducking to avoid a swing from behind. Turning, I held up my blades to block another punch from King Shark, which sent me crashing back into the ground.

“It’s been a while,” King Shark growled, lunging forward, snapping his teeth. I lashed out with a whip and smacked him to the side. He rolled, quickly pushing himself to his feet. “I hope you’ve improved since our last battle.”

“I have,” I snarled. I thrust my water-bearers forward and blasted him with water from the ocean below. He yelled as he was shoved back off the peninsula and into the water. Inhaling harshly, I glanced around.

Tula was battling Killer Frost, both exchanging blasts of ice. Killer Frost lashed out with a whip and Tula ducked, the sharp edge of the whip just barely nicking her cheek.

La’gaan was going toe-to-toe with Bane, both hammering each other with blows. La’gaan slammed his palm into Bane’s chest and electricity cracked, shoving Bane back a few feet.

Wyynde was fighting Monsieur Mallah. He was currently holding up a shield to block Mallah’s bullets.

Artur was engaged with Captain Boomerang. For every boomerang thrown, Artur slashed them out of the sky with water whips.

Queen Mera was locked in combat with the pale skinned woman, who was currently trying to hit her with a baseball bat. My queen was dodging as best she could, sending water eels to block her strikes.

Dolphin was confronting Magog. He kept trying to strike her, but she kept darting out of the way. She lashed out with her claws, occasionally connecting, but ultimately doing no damage.

Garth was struggling with a large man in red and black with a cybernetic hand. Like Victor, he was blasting energy at Garth, who was shielding against it.

Prince Orm was being beaten by a man who greatly resembled a younger Lord Thomas in an orange and white uniform. For every move Prince Orm made, he was countered or punched by the man.

King Arthur was resisting attacks from another man with a metal arm and several ropes. He was dodging every attack for some odd reason.

Lady Atlanna was attacking Brick with her trident. He was firmly on the defensive, deflecting her attacks with his fists and earning several gashes in the process.

Father was defending himself against Manta, both of them blasting away at each other with gun and laser beams respectively. Once they might have been evenly matched—Manta trained every one of his soldiers personally, and my father was no exception—but that was years ago, and my father’s peaceful lifestyle had taken its toll on his fighting skills.

Resolving to help, I began to run for them—

A set of teeth clamped into my back and I bellowed in agony as King Shark attacked me from behind.

“Kaldur!” I heard Tula yell over the haze of pain.

King Shark yanked his head back, taking a chunk of flesh with him and I gritted my teeth. He was pinning me to the ground, and from the sound of it, swallowing the piece of me he’d ripped off.

“Mmm,” he rumbled. “Tastes like sea salt.”

Swallowing a groan of pain, I tried to push myself into a sitting position, but failed.

“Do not worry, Kaldur! I have you!”

Something whistled through the air and then King Shark’s weight was gone from my back. Forcing myself to my feet, I glanced up to see Artur retracting a water whip. I nodded my thanks before turning to see King Shark getting to his feet again. There was a smear of blood along his lips.

“Heh.” He licked his teeth, stained red by my blood. “Not bad, lad. I’ll get that kid after I’m finished with you.”

“You will not get the chance!” I summoned maces this time and lunged—

An explosion shook the ground. King Shark, me, and everyone else whirled around to see the lighthouse explode into millions of tiny pieces.

_“TOM!”_ Lady Atlanna screamed.

_“SHA’LAIN’A!”_ Father roared.

_No._

_ No!_

_ NO!_

A woman cloaked in green landed in front of us, carrying a man in a red and white uniform, his face hidden by a white mask. They stood in front of us, the woman summoning balls of concentrated green energy, the man cocking two guns.

“And where the bleeding Hell were you two?” Boomerang demanded.

“Eliminating the terrorists hiding in that lighthouse,” the man said cockily.

My heart stopped.

My brain stopped.

_Everything_ stopped.

_Mother—!_

_“YOU BASTARDS!”_ Lady Atlanna screamed. She charged forward, her trident spinning—

The woman tossed the energy balls at her. They connected with Lady Atlanna’s body—

_And completely disintegrated her._

King Arthur bellowed in agony. Queen Mera shrieked. Artur howled in rage and pain. And Prince Orm emitted the most broken sound I’d ever heard.

“And now to eliminate the rest of you!” The woman summoned more energy balls.

“Hold it, Enchantress!” King Shark called. “Our orders are to kill the people in the lighthouse, not Aquaman and his lackies!”

“Do you really think Waller will care either way?” the man with the mask asked.

“Fair point.” King Shark turned to me. “Let’s go again, shall we?”

I struck an offensive position, all too aware of the blood pouring from my back and the horror hovering at the edge of my mind.

_Mother was dead._

_ Mother was dead._

_ Mother was dead._

Oh _gods._

“Why bother with this?” Enchantress waved her hand. “I can eliminate them faster on my own.”

“And deny the rest of us our satisfaction?” Behind me, I heard Manta clicking his tongue. “How rude of you, Enchantress.”

“Here, you pick one to kill and the rest of us will pick off the others,” Bane advised.

Enchantress tilted her head. “That seems fair.”

Faster than I could blink, Artur screamed. I turned, almost in slow motion, to see his right arm and eye explode with blood.

_“NO!”_ Queen Mera wailed. She and King Arthur lunged for their son but were blocked by onslaughts from the man with ropes.

Then, to my utter shock, the pale skinned woman ran forward and knelt by Artur.

_“Get away from him—!”_ Dolphin snarled, darting forward only to be blocked by Magog.

The pale skinned woman pressed her ear to Artur’s chest and sighed in relief. “He’s breathing.”

She glared at Enchantress. _“What_ the _Hell_ is _wrong_ with you? We don’t kill _kids!”_

“She’s right,” the man with the mask said, shifting uncomfortably. “We don’t cross that line.”

“Well I do.” Enchantress looked extremely pleased with herself. “You cannot tell me you would not have done the same.”

“No!” the pale skinned woman and the man with the mask yelled at once.

“It is too late now to do anything.” Enchantress crossed her arms. “It is too late to save him.”

“True,” a harsh, familiar voice drawled, “but not too late to carve his name into your spine.”

Now everyone turned around toward the mainland to see three figures standing there—Red Hood, Orphan, and Robin.

_“You—!”_ Bane snarled. “The Bat sent _you_ to deal with us?”

“I don’t follow.” King Shark glanced back and forth between the Knights and Bane. “Who’re they? Who’s the Bat?”

“The Justice League’s new friends—the Gotham City Knights. Batman is their leader. And these three,” the man in the mask nodded to the three Knights, “are his greatest warriors—Red Hood, Orphan, and Robin, the three assassins.”

Red Hood inclined his head. “You flatter us, Deadshot.”

Deadshot shrugged. “It’s the truth.”

“You will stand down immediately,” Robin ordered, his voice utterly calm.

“Or what?” Boomerang sneered.

“Or we’ll make you,” Red Hood answered simply.

“Bullshit!” Killer Frost snorted.

“Hood…Rob…Annie.”

I directed my attention back to the pale skinned woman, who was gazing at the Knights imploringly.

“The kid,” she said quietly. “Take care of the kid. You can do what you want with us but please, the kid…”

To my utter shock, Red Hood nodded. “Go with Orphan, Harley. She’ll take care of you both.”

Harley nodded and carefully scooped up Artur. He groaned weakly but otherwise didn’t stir. Orphan beckoned her and they walked away toward the mainland.

Too much. Too much was happening at once. First the attack, then Cailleach, Lord Tom, Mother, Lady Atlanna, Artur, and now Harley and Orphan. I swayed on my feet. The blood loss was clearly getting to me.

“You’re letting them get away?” Boomerang shot at Deadshot. “Shoot the girl and finish off the boy!”

Deadshot shook his head. “No. I don’t kill children. And I pity you if you think trying to kill Orphan is a good idea.”

“Then I suppose the rest of them are fair game!” Killer Frost shot a blast of ice at Red Hood and Robin. They both dodged.

Suddenly the fighting was back on and I was diving to the side to avoid King Shark’s teeth. I lashed out with my mace, slamming it into his ribcage and, from the sound of it, breaking a bone. Instead of slowing, King Shark punched me in the face. I felt bone crack and my nose immediately started gushing blood. Reeling back, I shook my head, trying to get my bearings—

Then I heard it.

My father screamed.

Turning, I saw my father—my _real_ father, the man that had raised me, loved me, given me his name—collapse, a smoking hole in the center of his chest.

And in that moment, I did not think. I did not see the battle around me. I did not hear the cries. I did not feel the blood dripping, the darkness threatening my vision.

All that existed was Manta and me.

I did not come back to myself until I realized I was staring Manta in his red visor.

My sword was buried in his chest.

We both staggered backward, him clutching his chest, my blade dissipating. I could barely focus on him falling to the ground, trying to make sense of everything.

The world was spinning and twisting, and I was only sure of one thing when I fell to the ground, one thought echoing around in my mind as I succumbed to the darkness.

_I just killed my own father._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry.


	99. We Seem To Be Missing A Gay Clown (JK She Is Bisexual, But Still, She Is Missing)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dolphin's probably going to freak out once the surprises stop rolling in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor girl.

**Dolphin**

Death.

I was surrounded by Death.

All around me, people were dying. Friend or foe, it did not matter. All I was aware of was the stench and feel of Death as it raged around us like s tempest.

Magog was doing his level best to kill me, but he was not succeeding. I was determined not to become one of the corpses littering the battlefield. I would live.

I would live to see Atlantis again.

I would live to see the world saved.

I would live to find love.

I would live to wed.

I would live to bear a child.

I would live to be happy.

So I kept fighting.

Fighting and slashing and dodging blows, doing my level best not to let Magog touch me. Atlantean strength or no, I did not want to see which of us was stronger.

“You are talented, child,” Magog said quietly as he slammed his fist down where I had been a second ago. “I applaud your strength.”

“Are you not one of the good guys?” I slashed at the fist he threw at me. “Why are you with them? Why now do you fight with the Suicide Squad?”

“Let us just say that Amanda Waller is a difficult woman to say no to.” Magog swung. I rolled out of the way.

“It does not have to be this way,” I told him. “You were a member of the Justice League once. You can be again. We can _help_ you, Magog.”

“I cannot be helped, little girl.” Magog looked sad. “But I thank you for your words. They are appreciated.”

“Then let us continue.” I rolled between his legs, kicking tendons I knew were sensitive. Magog fell to his knees and I jabbed him in the jugular, aiming for the vein I knew would knock him unconscious. He collapsed before me and I sighed, shaking myself, before looking around.

The others were more or less holding their own. All were alive, with the exception of Monsieur Mallah, who was—

Gods preserve me.

He had been sliced in half. Vertically. Just as Ted had been. His internal organs were spilled on the ground, staining the rocks and grass red.

One of the Knights must have done that. They were the only ones I knew of who would kill so horribly. Swallowing back a mouthful of bile, I tried to focus on something else—

The whirring of a machine startled me. Looking up, I saw a large helicopter descending from the skies. It landed just beyond the battlefield, its back opening to reveal a man dressed in US Army fatigues. He jumped down and strode toward us.

“Enough!” he called. “Stop!”

Everyone paused and looked to him.

“Colonel Flagg,” King Arthur growled. “Explain this now! Why did you send your little task force to attack my family’s lighthouse?”

The man—Colonel Flagg—rubbed his face. He looked extremely tired. “We got word from a reliable source that there were terrorists hiding out in the lighthouse. We didn’t know it belonged to your family.”

_“BULLSHIT!”_ King Arthur exploded. “There were _no_ terrorists living here! Your people _killed_both mine _and_ Aqualad’s parents, not to mention their guard!”

“And we grieve at your loss,” Colonel Flagg said. “I assure you that we will be taking disciplinary action with our operatives over this debacle.”

“Your _operatives?”_ King Arthur thundered. _“Fuck_ your operatives! What about _Waller?_ I want disciplinary action taken against _Waller!”_

Colonel Flagg sighed. “Waller is under the protection of the US government. You can’t touch her.”

“We’ll see about that,” King Arthur growled.

Queen Mera stepped forward. “Get your operatives out of here, Colonel. We have injured to tend to and people to bury.”

He nodded. “All of you, stand down and come with me.”

One by one, the Suicide Squad trickled over to Flagg for inspection, then were led onto the helicopter. Bane and the red and black cybernetic man had to drag Magog. When the last one was safely in the machine, Colonel Flagg frowned.

“I’m missing one.” He turned to us. “Where’s Harley Quinn?”

Harley Quinn? Did he mean the pale skinned woman?

“She is no longer your concern.” Red Hood stepped forward. “The Gotham City Knights have a greater claim to her than Waller and have taken her into custody.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to fly.” Colonel Flagg stepped forward. “Harley Quinn is property of the US government and I demand you return her to me.”

“She is no one’s property,” Robin snarled. “She will return to Arkham and there is nothing you or the government can do about it.”

“We’ll see about that.” Colonel Flagg pulled out a remote and pressed a button.

Yells of pain could he heard from inside the helicopter—just inside the helicopter, interestingly enough. I did not hear one from anywhere else.

Colonel Flagg lowered his hand. “Where is she.”

Red Hood shrugged. “With the brain implant gone? Who knows?”

“Hmm.” Colonel Flagg pulled a gun out of the holster on his hip and pointed it at Red Hood. “Give me Harley Quinn or I’ll be forced to shoot you.”

Robin snorted. “Good luck with that.”

Colonel Flagg turned his attention to Robin. “Listen, kid—”

A _bang_ split the air. I shrieked. Several others jumped.

Colonel Flagg stared at his hand where the gun had just been, then to Red Hood, who was holding a gun of his own.

“Listen, Flagg.” Red Hood’s voice was pleasant, but I caught an undercurrent of coldness. “You’re a good man, and I respect you. But you’re not getting Harley back. And if your boss has a problem with it, she can take it up with us herself. Visit Gotham at night—you’ll bump into one of us. Now scram.”

Colonel Flagg looked conflicted for a minute before sighing. He picked up his ruined gun and stuck it into his holster. “You’ll regret this,” he said to Red Hood.

“Whatever.” Red Hood waved a hand. “Shoo.”

Colonel Flagg spat on the ground before turning and going back to the helicopter. The hatch closed and the helicopter took off, soaring off to who knows where.

A groan drew my attention to where Kaldur was lying on the ground in a very scary pool of blood.

“Kaldur!” I cried, rushing to him. He did not react to my touch but whimpered when a salty breeze brushed the jagged edges of his wound.

I vaguely registered the sound of King Arthur and Queen Mera crying out for their son, but my attention was mostly fixed on Kaldur, the man I considered my brother.

It had not hit me yet that Calvin and Sha’lain’a—the people I had begun to think of as my parents—were dead. It would probably catch up to me soon, but for now I was focused on Kaldur.

Someone knelt beside me—Wyynde. “He will be all right,” Wyynde assured me. “Kaldur has had worse.”

He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

The sound of a boom tube hit my ears and I looked up to see Violet emerging in a flash of indigo light. Glancing around, they gasped.

“What has happened here?” they cried. “What is this?”

“Violet, thank the gods.” King Arthur was cradling Artur close. Queen Mera was at his side, holding his remaining hand. His arm and eye were wrapped in bandages. “We need to get him to the med bay. Now!”

Another person came up—Orphan. She pulled a roll of bandages out of her belt and began to unroll some, pressing them into the bleeding wound on Kaldur’s back.

“Thank you,” I breathed. “Thank you.”

Orphan nodded.

“Quickly!” Violet opened another boom tube. “Everyone to the Watchtower!”

To my shock, Orphan got her arms around Kaldur and lifted him so he was flopped over her shoulder. Without looking back, she sprinted into the boom tube right after King Arthur and Queen Mera.

I did not think twice about following her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter left!


	100. An Interesting Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason goes to have a talk with Amanda Waller.

**Jason Todd**

Everyone over at the battlefield was preoccupied with the wounded and the dead. Aquaman and Sea Dragon carried Aquaboy, Orphan had Aqualad, and Wind took Agent 37’s body.

No one saw me walk over to Harley and pull her toward the water.

“The kid,” she kept insisting. “Will he be okay?”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “He looked pretty bad. But Atlanteans are tough. He might make it.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be reassuring me?” she asked. “You’re the hero here.”

“I’m no hero. I’m like you and Pam, remember?” I offered her a crooked grin. “I only deal in facts on the job. And the fact of the matter is that it’s up in the air as to whether or not he’ll survive to see another day.”

“And if he does?” Harley blinked at me. “What’ll happen to his arm and eye?”

“We’ll make him new ones.” I tapped a button on my waist and the Batsub rose from the water.

“Where are we going, exactly?” Harley asked as I jumped on and popped the hatch.

“Back to Arkham.” I gestured to the hatch. “Ladies first.”

Harley jumped in. I followed.

“But I don’t want to go back to Arkham,” Harley whined, sitting in the shotgun seat as I closed the hatch. “Can’t I just go back to Pam?”

“Pam’s in Arkham too.” I plopped down in the pilot’s seat and strapped myself in. “She’ll need your help to break out. Besides, I told Flagg that’s where I was taking you. It’ll look suspicious if you don’t go back there.”

“Oh _fine,”_ Harley huffed. She paused. “Why didn’t you free Floyd too? Isn’t he one of us?”

“Nope.” I took the controls, directing us out of the bay toward Gotham City. “He kills for whoever pays him the most, be they innocent or guilty. Kids may be off-limits to him, but he kills good people. That makes him our enemy. He isn’t one of us, Harls.”

“Huh.” Harley sent me a crooked smile. “Looks like we’re a dying breed, eh Hood?”

“Looks like it.” I rubbed a hand over my mask. “So how about you give me the 411 on what the Suicide Squad is like?”

Harley squinted at me. “Don’t you already know everything we’ve done?”

“Officially, yeah. But _I’m_ curious about the shenanigans you guys get up to on and off missions. Enlighten me, would you?”

Harley propped her feet on the control panel. “Sure.”

I waltzed into Arkham Asylum, Harley in front of me—handcuffed, of course, because it would look suspicious for her not to be.

The prisoners were outside, shuffling around. A couple waved at us as we passed by. Calendar Man gave me a wolf whistle and I pulled out my gun and fired a warning shot right above his head.

That shut him up.

Harley snickered. “Nice.”

“Thanks.”

“Harls!” A familiar woman came running up. Throwing her arms around Harley, she kissed her. Harley sighed.

I smiled behind my mask. “Hey, Pam. Long time no see. How’s life?”

“In here? Boring.” Pam pulled away to grin at me. “Thanks for bringing her back to me.”

“My pleasure.” I faked looking at my watch. “I expect you to be broken out in seventy-two hours.”

“Make it forty-eight,” Harley retorted.

Guards approached. They nodded to me before grabbing Harley and leading her toward the admissions office.

Pam glanced at me, biting her lip. “Will anyone come for her?”

I shrugged. “Probably. We injected her with a chemical that destroyed the brain implant Waller gave her, but Waller doesn’t give up easy. They’ll have to get through us first, though.”

“Thanks.”

“Our pleasure.” I sobered up. “How’s Duela doing?”

“To be honest? Not well.” Pam wound a strand of hair around her finger. “Harley was able to get her to open up a little, but when she disappeared, Duela…kind of went into a backward slide.”

I sighed. “Poor kid. Will you be taking her with you when you break out?”

“Not sure.” Pam scuffed the ground with her sneaker. “Last time we took her with us, she wound up back here within the week when she got on the wrong side of some cops. I’m not sure if we can risk it.”

“Got you,” I replied. My comm beeped. “Shit, I have to go. See you when you get out. Just…promise me you won’t let anyone else out with you?”

“I’ll do my best,” Pam said. “Will you come over for tea sometime?”

“Sure. Call me when you get out. Bye.”

“Bye,” Pam called after me as I turned and walked out of Arkham, tapping my comm. “Red Hood.”

“Red Hood.” It was Robin. “Aquaboy and Aqualad are in the medical bay at the Watchtower. Zatanna, Zatara, and Girl 13 are attending to them. Aquaman and his brethren are watching over them. I am posted outside of the medical bay.”

“And Orphan?”

“She is standing guard over them all—watching the magicians like the trained assassin she is.”

“Typical.” I made my way to the Batsub parked at the edge of the island—who the Hell built an asylum this close to the ocean was a fucking idiot—and popped the hatch. “You need backup or what?”

“No. I have things here.”

“Excellent. Because I have a meeting to attend to.”

“Ah.” Robin sounded more vicious. “Going to talk to Waller?”

“Something like that.” Closing the hatch, I dropped into the driver’s seat. “Keep me posted?”

“Of course. Robin out.”

The comm clicked off and I typed in the coordinates for Washington DC.

I had to go and have a talk with Amanda Waller.

Waller was a strict woman. It was no wonder her apartment was neatly ordered.

Everything was in its place, her pants, skirts, and shirts all hung up neatly and without wrinkles. Her _socks_ were _ironed_ for God’s sake. Her bed was made with military precision, not a speck of dust on the windowsill.

Her bathroom was just as neat. The top was on her toothpaste, her towels all perfectly aligned. Interestingly enough, there was no sign of feminine hygiene products, nor birth control.

I don’t know why that surprised me. Waller was certainly old enough that to have stopped menstruating, but it had never really occurred to me to think of someone like Waller as _old._ She seemed like Alfred—timeless.

As for the birth control…again, the age. But I wondered if it was because she wouldn’t let herself be loved again after her husband died.

Her office was clear of clutter. All of her documents were neatly aligned in alphabetical order. I took the liberty of poking through them just to see if there was anything interesting that I should know and found nothing.

There wasn’t a single photo of Waller and the two children I knew she still had, which made my stomach clench in sympathy and disgust. I knew Waller was paranoid as Hell, but I also knew that she loved her children. She could have at least had a picture up in her own private residence, which was protected by some of the most advanced technology the US government had access to, not to mention being on the top floor of the Goddamn Pentagon. Was it really that important to keep people from knowing she had feelings?

Maybe I’d bring it up to her when we talked.

Her personal kitchen was devoid of any and all comfort foods with the sole exception of ingredients for her favorite type of gumbo. Other than that, it was all oatmeal and protein shakes and vegetables and steak. Her table, a two-seater, was utterly spotless.

Her living room was similarly cleaned, her coffee table dust-free and her couch unwrinkled. Her walls were lined with different models of guns, all of which I knew she knew how to use. Her TV screen was a mirror reflecting my figure, and her bookshelves were either filled with government documents, instruction books, or—ooh, was that Murder on the Orient Express?

Grabbing the book, I took a seat on the couch and opened the book, using the light from the window to see. I’d read until Waller got home.

I liked this book.

The light was dwindling. I’d just gotten to the part where Hercule was interviewing Hector when I heard the lock click.

Turning the page, I waited.

The door closed and I heard the sound of the safety being clicked off of a gun. “You have ten seconds to explain how you got here before I start shooting.”

I sighed. “Do you mind? It’s just getting good.”

“Does it look or sound like I give a damn?”

“Ooh, scary.” I set the book down and propped my feet up on the coffee table. “Big, bad Amanda Waller’s threatening me. I’m positively quaking in my boots.”

“Keep quiet.” Waller’s hand was steady on her gun. Unafraid. How stupid of her. “I’ll shoot.”

“I’m perfectly aware that you’ll shoot.” I tucked my hands behind my head, the picture of relaxed. “But I know for a fact that you won’t be prepared for the consequences if you do.”

“If you want to kill me, you’ll have to do better than this.”

“If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead. But that’s not why I’m here, Waller. I’m here about Harley Quinn.”

“Ah.” The gun didn’t so much as waver. “So _you’re_ one of the ones who took Quinzel from us.”

“Her name’s Harley,” I corrected. “And yes. We took her back to Arkham, where she belongs.”

“You stole property of the US government,” Waller retorted. “You will return her to us or—”

“Or what? You’ll stick me in Belle Reve with an inhibitor collar around my neck? Please,” I sneered. “You couldn’t apprehend me if you tried.”

“This building is filled to the brim with government officials, not to mention some of the best trained killers in the world,” Waller said sharply. “You wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Oh _really.”_ I cocked my head. “Because _I_ know _the_ best killers in the world—Hell, I’m one of them. And I could wreck this entire place if I wanted to. But I don’t, so I’m not. Besides, I don’t think you want to kill me.”

“And what makes you think that?” Waller growled.

“If you wanted me dead, you would have shot me on sight. You’re curious, Waller. You want to know more about me. So how about you put the gun down and we talk like civilized adults?”

For a solid minute—I counted—the gun stayed where it was. I didn’t comment, just waited for the gears to stop spinning and for Waller to make the choice I knew she would. She lowered the gun.

“There we go, see?” I smiled, even though she couldn’t see it. “Isn’t this better?”

Waller didn’t respond, merely tucked her gun back in its holster.

“Okay then.” I shifted slightly. “Let’s get down to business. You will not be touching Harley Quinn again.”

“She is property of the US government—” Waller started.

“Again with this _property_ thing. You should know better than to think of someone as property,” I chided. “After all, that’s the same line of thinking that got your daughter raped and killed, among others.”

Waller went still. “How do you know about that?”

“You spoke about it at a Women’s Rights march in DC two years ago,” I said. “Some of our members were in attendance.”

True and false—the girls all attended that march and heard Waller speak about it. But we’d known long beforehand. Bruce made it a point to keep up to date on government officials.

“Your members, hmm?” Waller raised an eyebrow. “And just who are your members?”

I rolled my eyes. “Goodness, Waller, one would think you’d keep up with the news. We worked with the Justice League during the alien invasion? You know, the one with the Reach and the angry blue gorillas?”

“Ah.” Waller nodded. “So you’re a member of the Gotham City Knights. That explains the murder. I’d expect no less from a Gothamite. But I don’t see what this has to do with Quinzel. Is she a member?”

“Let’s call ourselves allies,” I said easily. “And she’s off-limits from here on out.”

“And what will you do if I refuse?”

“Kill and/or seriously main anyone who tries to take her back.”

Waller snorted. “I’d like to see you try. You will return Quinzel to us within twenty-four hours.”

“Or?” I asked innocently.

“Or I’ll have a price on your heads so fast it’ll make your head spin.”

Faster than her head could spin (ha) I was across the room, slamming Waller into the door, my arm pinning her by her throat. I plucked the gun from its holster with my free hand and tossed it away.

“A price on our heads, hmm?” I leaned over to breathe in her ear, “I don’t think that’ll go so well for you.”

“If you touch me, I’ll have your head on a platter,” Waller snarled, and I thought I detected a hint of fear in her voice.

“We aren’t like that,” I assured her. “We don’t touch people who don’t want to be touched. In combat, however, anyone’s fair game.”

“Good to know.” Waller’s knee came up and presumably hit me in the groin—I couldn’t feel anything thanks to my cup. Reinforced steel—Alfred’s advice.

I chuckled. “Yeah, I wouldn’t try that again if I were you.”

She tried pushing forward into me, trying to throw me off my balance, and it might have worked if I hadn’t been stronger. When you’ve been wrestling Alfred and Shadows and Assassins and Damian and Cass for a good chunk of your life, you get pretty tough pretty fast.

I huffed a sigh. “Are you done?”

She spat at me. It hit me in one of my goggles. I made a point of not wiping it off.

“I’ll take that as a yes. So let’s make a few things clear.” I leaned in close so that our foreheads were touching. “Harley Quinn and _any_ resident of Arkham Asylum is off-limits for your little Suicide Squad. And if you try to come after _any_ of us…well, let’s just say that we won’t be held responsible for the consequences. Understand?”

“You’re not in any position to give orders,” she snapped.

I rolled my eyes.

I _hated_ this woman.

Drawing a knife with my free hand, I pressed it to Waller’s neck.

She snorted. “Do you really think you can intimidate me? Killing me will bring the full force of the US government down on your precious little terrorist group.”

“You of _all_ people should know the difference between terrorists and vigilantes,” I growled. “And while we’re on the subject, you’re lucky I’m not taking out my anger about the lighthouse incident on your skin.”

The fury I’d had about that whole incident was still burning beneath my skin. It was taking everything I had not to give in and let the Pit in me take over.

“I had reliable intel that there were terrorists living in that lighthouse,” Waller told me.

“And who, exactly, was this reliable source?” I asked. “Another criminal?”

“Zviad Baazovi,” she responded.

My blood went cold.

_Bad Samaritan._

I released Waller, stepping back and sheathing my knife. “Well, that was helpful. Thank you, Waller. You just gave me _exactly_ what I needed to know.”

“And that means what?” she asked, straightening.

“Nothing that concerns you.” I examined my glove. “Still, such behavior deserves a reward.”

Quicker than she could blink, I jabbed her in the vein I knew would knock her out. She crashed to the ground like a wall collapsing (double ha) and I stood over her, making sure she was properly unconscious before turning to go back to the window I’d crawled in.

I had to report to Bruce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you thought Jason came off as rapey here—please let me know and I will absolutely fix it. Jason absolutely will not rape anyone, but if you're fighting someone and have to pin them, well, you have to pin them. Sorry again.


	101. Grieving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tara reflects on the past few years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOO OVER 100 CHAPTERS!!!

**Tara Markov**

“How is everything?” I asked Violet as they touched down beside me.

“Still no change,” Violet replied. They were shaking. “Artur is still unstable. Kaldur has been stitched up, but he needs more blood. Wyynde has gone back to Atlantis to find a supplier.”

“Can they not replace it magically?”

“Apparently not.”

I sighed, rubbing a hand over my eyes. “This is a disaster. I knew Amanda Waller was a cruel woman, but to attack Arthur and Kaldur’s parents…”

“According to Mera, they were working under the assumption that terrorists were hiding there,” Violet pointed out.

I stared at her. “Does that make it better?”

Violet’s shoulders slumped. “No, it does not.”

“Mother of God.” I stared at the window in front of me. “What a mess.”

We were in the forest outside of the Watchtower’s meeting room. Everyone else besides the Atlanteans and the magicians were here too, keeping close. A League-wide alert had been called for everyone to report up here after last night’s attacks.

Mother of God.

_Forager…_

I squeezed my eyes shut.

The…the bodies were here as well. Ryand’r, Koriand’r, Forager, Jay, and Joan. Rachel was not here. We could not find her body. All we knew was that she was gone—either dead or worse.

Then there were the Beetles to contend with.

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Indigo, Purple, White, and Black, in addition to Blue—it was eerily similar to the Lantern’s Emotion Spectrum, according to Kyle. I wondered if there was some sort of symbolism there. In any case, they had proven to be great threats.

I heard sniffling from beside me and noticed that Violet was crying. Reaching over, I placed a hand on their shoulder. They gave me a watery smile.

Our comms clicked to life. “Violet,” Zatanna said wearily. “Can you come here please?”

“Yes, I am on my way.” Violet glanced at me and smiled again before flying off to the elevator.

I sighed and leaned against a tree, sinking down to the ground.

My mind was at war with itself, several emotions clashing in an effort to take up all of my attention.

A part of me was furious. Rage burned through my veins. I wanted to hunt down Indigo Beetle and crush it to bits.

Another part of me was afraid. What would happen if the rest of us were attacked? What would we do? How many of us would die next time?

Still another part of me was utterly miserable. So many dead—so many good people that I had cared for. How could they just be dead?

The rest of me was just tired. Tired of the fighting, the anger, the fear, the misery. Tired of this life I had been forced into by my Goddamned uncle. Tired…tired of losing everyone I cared about.

Someone came up and sat down beside me. Glancing over, I saw that it was Connor—_my_Connor.

“How’re you doing?” he asked quietly.

“Honestly? Not well.” I pressed a hand to my forehead. “I feel like absolute—” I swore violently in Markovian. “This is a royal disaster and I do not know what to do.”

“I know.” Connor rested his hand on my shoulder. “I know how much Forager meant to you and Brion and Violet. I could see it in your eyes.”

“Not just us.” I glanced at him. “I know you liked him too.”

“Hard _not_ to like him,” Connor chuckled. “He was a very likeable person.”

“He was very likeable,” I agreed. “And kind. And selfless. And so, so funny. And…”

I trailed off as tears came to my eyes. Connor wrapped his arm around me, and I leaned into his shoulder.

“He…he forgave me,” I whispered, staring at the endless expanse of space outside of the Watchtower. “When I…when he found out I was…a Shadow. He understood…because of Mantis. And he held me…when we got back to…to Mount Justice. He told me…that we all made mistakes. That…that I may have been…wrong, but…that I could be forgiven…”

A sob slipped out of me.

“Shh,” Connor soothed, tucking my head beneath his chin. “It’s all right. _Grieve,_ Tara. You’re allowed to. I’ll be right here.”

His words shattered some wall inside of me and I buried my face in his chest and wept.


	102. Praying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet and Damian take a break to pray.

**Damian Wayne**

This was ridiculous.

Standing guard outside of the medical bay in the Watchtower, I ran a hand over my facemask.

The Light was clearly on a killing spree—first Starman, then the Beetles, and now the Suicide Squad. What would be next? Would they come directly to the Watchtower, or would they wait for the rest of the Leaguers and their families to come back to Earth and pick them off then?

A part of me hoped they would send some of them after us—just so we could pay them back for the Hell they had wrought upon these people.

My watch beeped. Noon prayers. Shit. I would have to find a place to pray.

The door to the medical bay opened and Halo drifted out, wringing their hands.

I perked up. “Has anything changed?”

“Hmm?” Halo glanced at me. “Oh, no. No, not at all. I just…” They fidgeted. “It is time for prayers.”

Ah. Times like this I had forgotten that Halo was Muslim too.

I inclined my head. “Do you mind if I join you?”

Halo glanced at me. “You are Muslim too?”

“Shi’a,” I admitted carefully. As accepting as Halo was, they had been raised and resurrected Sunni, and that could potentially cause problems.

“I see.” Halo smiled at me. “That is fine. I never really understood the differences between the two anyway.”

“Muhammed’s successor,” I said.

Halo raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?”

“Never mind.” I bowed. “Lead the way.”

Halo glowed with an orange light and flew away. I followed.

“Does it ever feel silly to you?” they asked as we traveled. “Worshipping Allah even with the New Gods?”

“No,” I said brusquely. “In a way, they worship Allah too.”

Halo turned around to face me. “How so?”

“The New Gods believe in The Source of all life, do they not?” I asked. “The Source is what gave life to the multiverses. In a way, it matches with the stories written in the Torah, the Bible, and the Koran, as well as many other monotheistic religions.”

Halo tilted their head. “I had never thought about it like that.” They raised an eyebrow at me. “How did you come to this conclusion?”

I shrugged. “We _do_ participate in other activities.”

“One of which being theological discussions?”

“Sometimes.”

“Are all of you Muslim? I did not see Orphan move from her spot watching everyone.”

“Not all of us,” I replied. “Some of us are religious and some are not. Orphan is actually Taoist.”

“Taoist?” Halo frowned. “I do not recognize that word. What is Taoist?”

“It’s an old Chinese philosophy that advocates humility and religious piety.”

“Oh.” Halo touched down in front of a small door. “Here is our prayer room. We have a spare rug for you if you need one.”

“Thank you,” I said.

Halo led me into the room, which was small and stylish. The walls were painted a calm orange. Three soft prayer rugs were embroidered much like my own at home and it calmed me to see the familiar colors.

Halo took the one on the far side of the room and I took the other, leaving a space between us. We may have bonded over a shared religion, but I knew that they, along with the rest of the people here, were still wary of us, so I decided it was best to give them their space.

As I went through the motions, praying toward where I knew Mecca to be, I thought idly of before, when _‘Um_ would halt me in the middle of training to pray with her. The thought sent a twinge of sadness through my stomach—for what I had lost or for what I knew her to be, I did not know.

When we had finished, Halo sat down, gazing at me. Not one to be intimidated, I stared right back. We sat like that for a few minutes.

“There is something odd about you,” they finally said.

I snorted. “You can say that again.”

“You are…hurt. Dying.” Their brow wrinkled. “I can sense something inside of you…something unnatural. It feels like—”

“Death,” I finished for her. “Yes, I know. It feels like a piece of Hell is inside me.”

Halo nodded. “Yes. I…would very much like to fix you. Try to help, but…I am not sure that I can. The power within me…it recoils from you.”

“I know.” I stared down at my entwined fingers. “I cannot be helped.”

Suddenly there were hands around mine. I looked up and saw Halo smiling warmly at me. I swallowed.

No one outside of my family had ever looked at me that kindly.

“Everyone can be helped,” they said softly. “Maybe I cannot fix you, but maybe someone else can.”

My heart clenched.

_Jon—_

_ Unnatural! Jid_ screamed.

_Filthy! ‘Um_ howled.

I pushed their voices away. “I—”

A scream rang through the walls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It should be noted that I have never seen a Muslim pray in person and I couldn't find a good way to describe the praying without being insulting. If someone would like to help me with that, I'd greatly appreciate it. Also, I didn't know if it was sacrilegious or not.


	103. Am I Dreaming?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artur is semi-conscious.

**Artur Curry Jr.**

Everything was dark.

Everything hurt.

Except for my right side.

I could not feel a thing.

Was I dead?

Someone was talking above me.

_“He is stable for the moment, but I believe he needs rest now.”_

_“_ _Thank_ _ you, Giovanni. Zatanna. Traci.”_

_“What of Kaldur?”_

_ “He needs more work still. I do not believe the wound is fully healed yet.”_

_ “I’ll stay with him.”_

_ “No, Zee, you need to take a break.”_

_ “I can help!”_

_ “Zatanna, you’re pregnant. It’s best not to strain your powers so much when you’ve got a bun in the oven. Even I know that. Now shoo.”_

_ “Traci, you should go too. You’re still learning. I’ll stay and watch over him. I suggest the rest of you give us some space. I need it to work.”_

_ “I cannot leave my son!”_

_ “It is all right, my queen. I will watch over him.”_

_ “Thank you, Wyynde.”_

Silence.

_“Orphan, you come out too. I need the space and your staring is…rather unnerving.”_

_ “Yeah. Come with us, Orphan. You’ve been in here as long as we have. You need rest.”_

Silence.

_“You will let us know if anything changes?”_

_ “Of course.”_

Silence again.

A door opening.

_“Prince Orm? What are you doing in here?”_

_ “I came to see how things were.”_

_ “There is no change. But I believe Kaldur is making progress—”_

A sickening squelch.

A gasp.

_“Prince Orm, what are you doing?”_

A thud.

_“What I should have done a long time ago.”_

_ “You cannot kill Artur!”_

_ “And why not? My brother took my mother away from me. The least I can do is return the favor.”_

_ “You are insane!”_

_ “Perhaps I am. Are you prepared to stand in my way?”_

_ “Absolutely!”_

Several thuds.

_“You are a traitor! You were once my prized pupil. Now look at you—you are tainted. Your love for that half-breed bastard makes you weak!”_

_ “Kaldur’s love has made me strong!”_

_ “Show me.”_

More thuds.

_“Surrender, Prince Orm! You cannot win this!”_

_ “Oh, I believe I can.”_

A thud.

A crack.

Another thud.

A door opening.

Footsteps.

A slash.

Two thuds.

More footsteps.

A scream.

Then black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah.


	104. Like A Grape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone's head gets squished like a grape.

**La’gaan**

Orphan was silent as we walked away from the medical bay. Granted, she was always silent, but this felt different.

“Thank you,” I told her. “For saving Artur and Kaldur.”

She nodded.

“So now what?” Garth asked. “What are we going to do about Waller? This cannot go unpunished!”

“I know.” Queen Mera bit her lip. “But we cannot take action against her. To do so would be seen as an act of war against the US government, and that would not be the best idea.”

“This is _ridiculous,”_ King Arthur snarled. “We have to make her pay!”

The sound of snapping fingers brought my attention back to Orphan. She pointed to her chest, then punched her fist into her other hand.

Dolphin glanced at me. “What is she saying?”

Orphan repeated the actions.

Tula snapped her fingers. “I get it! She is saying that the Knights will punish Waller! Right?” she asked Orphan.

Orphan nodded, then rolled her finger.

“You are already on it?” Garth asked.

Another nod, then she made goggles with her fingers and tapped her hood.

“Red Hood?” I translated.

Nod.

“So you sent an assassin after Waller.” King Arthur ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. That’ll work well.”

“I am sure he is capable enough of taking care of this,” Queen Mera assured him. “Thank you,” she directed at Orphan.

Nod.

“Are you capable of speech at all?” Traci asked curiously.

Nod.

“Will you talk to us?” Zatanna asked.

This time she shook her head.

“Why not?” I pressed.

Orphan gestured to her face.

“You…won’t speak while you’re wearing your mask,” King Arthur guessed.

Nod.

“Why?” I pressed.

That question garnered a shrug.

“Do…you want to…protect your identity?” Tula tried.

Nod.

“And your voice would give away your identity,” Garth deadpanned.

Nod.

“How?”

Shrug.

“You’re just a barrel of information, aren’t you?” Traci deadpanned.

Shrug.

“Well, this has been a fascinating conversation.” Queen Mera glanced around. “Say, where is Orm?”

Faster than I could blink, Orphan was sprinting back toward the medical bay. Instinct had the rest of us following, but she was faster and got to the medical bay first.

I careened to a stop just outside of the medical bay to see Orphan beheading Orm, his head and body hitting the ground with two wet thuds.

_Neptune’s beard._

“What the Hell was—?” I started, then cut off with a low, “Oh _no.”_

Because lying on the ground were Giovanni and Wyynde, the former with a jagged, gaping hole in his chest and the latter with a neck that pointed the wrong way.

No.

No.

_No._

Not them, not them both, not so soon—

Dolphin shrieked from next to me and I tucked her in my arms, turning her face away from the carnage.

I heard Zatanna scream in agony and saw her cradling her father’s corpse close. Traci was gawking at the sight. Garth and Tula were kneeling over Wyynde’s body. King Arthur and Queen Mera were leaning over Artur.

And Orphan…Orphan stood there in the middle of the carnage, staring at Orm’s body. His head.

Robin and Violet came running up. “What happened?” Violet demanded. “What is this?”

I shook my head wordlessly, only able to watch as Orphan put her boot on Orm’s head.

And crushed it like a grape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the gratuitous imagery of Cass squishing Orm's head like a grape.


	105. Today Was A Fucking Mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helena is tired.

**Helena Bertinelli**

“Zviad Baazovi?” Bruce stared at Jason. “You’re sure?”

Jason nodded, running the hand not holding onto Cass through his hair. “Yep. She wasn’t lying, I could tell that much. Bad Samaritan was the one behind the Suicide Squad attack.”

Bruce rubbed his hand over his face. “Jesus Christ.”

You know a situation’s bad when a Jewish man is cursing a Christian God.

“We should let the Justice League know.” Kate sighed, rolling her shoulders. “This should be fun.”

“I’ll tell them.” Dick clicked the comm link to the Watchtower. “Nightwing to Watchtower. We have—”

_“WHAT!”_ Captain Atom screamed, so loud that everyone flinched. _“WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW?”_

I exchanged looks with Steph and Tim, both of whom looked as miserable as I felt.

“We found out who was behind the Suicide Squad attack,” Dick said, undeterred. “It was Zviad Baazovi, Bad Samaritan.”

A pause. “That’s it?”

Dick glanced at us, confused. “Yes, that’s it.”

“Oh, that’s _fan-fucking-tastic._ Tell you what—how about you call us when you have something _USEFUL!”_ Captain Atom yelled before the line went dead.

Damian huffed a breath. “That was rude.”

“He’s grieving,” Harper told him. “Let him be.”

“Fair.” Damian toyed with the white streak in his hair. “So now what?”

“Now we all go get some fucking sleep before patrol tonight,” Barbara said tiredly. “God knows I need a nap after all this bullshit.”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “You weren’t even there.”

“And I’m _still_ exhausted.” Barbara pointed a finger at him. “I can’t _imagine_ how you three feel.”

“My fault,” Cass piped up from where she was curled in between Jason and Damian. “My fault my fault my fault my fault.”

“Cain, this was not your fault—it was that bastard Orm who killed Zatara and Wind, not you,” Damian said firmly.

Cass said nothing, simply buried her head in Jason’s chest and clutched Damian’s hands.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. Today was a fucking mess.


	106. How Do You Explain To A Boy That His Right Arm And Eye Are Gone?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lian is there when Artur wakes up. It isn't pretty.

**Lian Nguyen-Harper**

I stared at Artur’s face.

He looked so weird with an eyepatch on.

Guess I’d have to get used to it.

I looked beside me at Mera. “Has he woken up any? Or is he still out of it?”

Mera shrugged. “He is still sleeping. A mercy, really. I do not know how he will react to waking up with one eye and one arm.”

The thought brought tears to my eyes and I swiped a hand over my face, trying to push them away. It probably wasn’t fair of me to cry over Artur when I wasn’t even part of his family.

A hand came down on my shoulder and I glanced over to see Mera smiling weakly at me.

“It is all right to cry,” she said gently. “I appreciate that you care so much for Artur that you cry for his pain.”

I sniffed, looking back at Artur. His one remaining hand was lying on the bed over the covers. I reached over and held it gently between my own, rubbing my fingers over the smooth skin.

“He’s one of my best friends,” I admitted. “It hurts me to see him like this.”

Mera was quiet for a moment, then said, “And are you aware that Artur has…romantic feelings for you?”

I bit my lip. “Yeah. Yeah, I know he does.”

“Ah.” Now Mera sounded like she was in pain. “And I know that you do not…reciprocate these feelings.”

“Not yet,” I said.

“Pardon, _yet?”_

I looked back at her. “Well, I could maybe feel something like that for him at some point. But I’m ten right now and I don’t really want to date right now. Plus, he’s five years older than me—it wouldn’t really be legal, and my parents would flip. But, maybe someday…we’ll see how it goes.”

Mera’s mouth twitched. “You are a good girl, Lian. Smart. I admire that. But may I make a request?”

“Sure,” I said carefully.

The queen of Atlantis looked sad. “Please do not break my boy’s heart.”

“I would never do that to him,” I swore. _“Never.”_

And I know I wouldn’t. No matter whatever happened between us, Artur would always be my friend. I knew it in my bones.

Plus, it would take a lot more than a failed romance to drive me away from a super-bestie.

Suddenly Artur’s hand twitched in mine.

Gasping, I leaned over, Mera moving with me, to see Artur’s eye blinking open.

“Artur?” I said quickly, quietly, almost afraid to speak too loudly.

“Lian?” Artur croaked. “Mother?”

I stepped away so that Mera could be closer to him. “My boy,” Mera rasped. “My boy.” She began speaking in Atlantean with Artur giving her monosyllabic answers.

Footsteps sounded, then Arthur was standing beside Mera. I lowered my head and began to walk away while the king and queen spoke soothingly to their son.

“Lian?” Artur called, stopping me in my tracks. “Lian?”

Turning around, I went back to Artur’s bed, Mera moving over to make room for me.

Artur’s one bloodshot eye fixed on me. “Lian,” he croaked.

I made myself smile. “Hey Art,” I said, my voice wobbling a little. “You feeling all right?”

Probably a stupid question, but then I wasn’t feeling too smart right now.

“I…cannot feel,” he managed. “Not…right side.”

“You shouldn’t,” Arthur said weakly. “We’ve numbed it.”

“What…happened?” Artur asked. “Why…can I not…see right?”

I bit my lip. Arthur and Mera exchanged glances.

“What?” Artur demanded—well, as much as he could demand.

“I…” Mera swallowed. “An enchantress badly wounded you. You…you lost…”

“Lost what?” For the first time since he woke up, Artur sounded scared. “Lost…what?”

“You…you lost…” Now Arthur looked like he was about to cry. “Your right arm…and your right eye.”

Artur was still. Then he started to tremble, and I saw his eye welling up with tears.

Mera gathered Artur in her arms, tucking his head under her chin and rocking him back and forth. Arthur placed a hand on Artur’s back and began rubbing it. And I grabbed Artur’s hand and held it, once again stroking his skin.

And as Artur began sobbing, something in my heart cracked in half.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry.


	107. Feeding Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick feeds Mar'i and Jake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought you guys needed some fluff after the last few chapters.

**Dick Grayson**

It was time to feed Mar'i and Jake.

Cuddled up on my bed, I held Mar’i, watching as my little girl happily suckled on her bottle. Beside me, Babs was cooing at Jake, watching as he swallowed down the last of his own milk.

Perched on the edge of my bed, Luke ran a hand over his hair. “God, this is a disaster.”

“Ah ah ah.” Babs held up a finger. “No talking about sad stuff while we’re feeding the munchkins. You know the rules.”

“Right, right, sorry.” Luke flopped down, now spread-eagled over the foot of my bed. “If you guys can think of anything happier to talk about, I’m all ears.”

“Well, we’re all going on our family camping trip tomorrow,” I offered, adjusting Mar’i in my arms. “That’s something to be excited about.”

“That’s true enough.” Luke smiled. “Ah, two weeks in the wilderness. Just what the doctor ordered.”

“I personally am looking forward to the time away from the job,” Babs admitted, moving Jake so he was on her shoulder over the burp cloth she’d placed there.

“Me too,” I agreed.

“Bitch, please!” Luke snorted.

“Language!” Babs hissed, pulling Jake closer to her in an attempt to protect his tiny ears. I giggled.

“Please, he’s growing up with us. They’ll get used to the swearing eventually.” Luke pointed a finger at me. “And _you._ You’re on freaking _paternity leave,_ Dicholas. You don’t even _have_ to work.”

“Being a new dad is work,” I pointed out.

“Yeah, work that you love,” Babs retorted, smiling when Jake burped.

I glanced down at Mar’i, who was finished with her bottle. Pushing it away, she looked up at me with her big green eyes and giggled, making grabby hands.

Setting the empty bottle aside, I pulled Mar’i up and kissed her nose. She squealed, exhaling milk breath into my face.

It was true. I _did_ love taking care of my children. I’d always dreamed of being a father someday, and now that I was one, there was nowhere else I’d rather be. Maybe I’d feel different on day forty-seven of dirty diaper duty, but I highly doubted that.

I loved my children so much.

And I’d be _damned_ before I let anything happen to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	108. Watching Mom Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amistad deals with his grandpapa's death—or doesn't.

**Amistad Ervin**

I sat down outside of Mom and Mama’s bedroom, listening to Mom crying. My chest ached more and more with every sob she made.

“I know you’re out there, Ami.”

Sighing, I looked up to see Mama staring down at me.

“Sorry, Mama. I just…I wanted to make sure Mom was okay,” I said, scuffing my toe against the ground.

“I know, baby.” Mama leaned down and ruffled my hair. “You can come in if you want. I think your mom would appreciate the company.”

I immediately stood up and ran into the room.

Mom was curled up on the bed, shrieking into a pillow. I clambered up onto the bed and pressed myself into her side.

“Ami?” Mom sniffled, glancing up at me.

I tried for a small smile. “Hi, Mom. I thought you might need a hug.”

“Thanks, Ami. I really do.” Mom turned around and wrapped her arms around me, burying her face in my hair. I cuddled closer, ignoring the feeling of tears soaking my hair.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Mom whispered into my hair. “I’m sorry you’ve lost your grandpapa.”

“Don’t worry about me, Mom,” I told her, rubbing her back gently. “I’m fine. I’m more worried about you.”

“Thank you, Ami,” Mom said, letting out a small sob. “You’re a good boy. You’re my good boy.”

I heard Mama climbing into bed on Mom’s other side and cuddling close. “It’s okay, babe. We’re here for you.”

Mom cried harder, soaking my head with more tears. I rubbed her back as I considered Grandpapa’s death.

I’d never been particularly close to Grandpapa. To be honest, I didn’t think he’d ever liked me very much. Maybe because I wasn’t Mom’s kid, or maybe because I’d been born when Mom was thirteen, or maybe because he didn’t approve of my clothes or the way I talked or something. Whatever the reason, he’d always been distant. I was sad that he was dead, of course, but in more of a detached way. Like learning that a friend’s grandparent had died.

Mom began shaking, her body heaving. Mama made soothing noises, and I knew she was pressing kisses to Mom’s neck.

I knew that I could never tell Mom this. Maybe Mama, because I didn’t think Grandpapa liked her much either. But not Mom.

Never Mom.

Grandpapa meant too much to her.

So I swallowed my thoughts and instead focused on the horrible feeling of watching my mom cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry.


	109. The Risks Of Forgetting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy copes—in his own way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEED THE TAGS.
> 
> Also sorry for missing Friday—stuff happened.

**Roy Harper**

I was screwed.

I had blown all the veins in the stump of my right arm.

I stared at the syringe in my hand, then at my ruined stump.

Well what the fuck would I do now?

Injecting in the other arm wasn’t an option, especially with my sleeveless outfit—though I guess I could change that. Or maybe just stop being a hero for a while.

No, fuck that.

I could go back to pills, but pills didn’t do it for me anymore, even when I upped my dosage to 160 milligrams of the shit. Not even snorting the stuff, which was my vice until I discovered that going to a needle was the better option.

And I couldn’t stop. Not now that I’ve found the one way to feel the love I’ve been missing all my life.

I could try my calves—no one really looks at the back of your calves. But if I went to the beach with Lian or Cynthia or whoever and they saw me—

No. Not my calves.

My feet could be an option. I’d have to wear shoes or socks everywhere, but I did that anyway, so that could work. But it could get hot as balls here, so that would be pure Hell. Not worse than withdrawal, but still Hell.

Worth the risk? Maybe.

I’d heard of people injecting into their necks before. Maybe…my hair was long enough to cover them. But if someone brushed my hair back…no. Too risky.

So I was fucked.

Gnashing my teeth, I carefully set the syringe down and pulled my arm back on, sliding it into place and clasping it.

Well, when the shit hit the fan, there was only one person I could go to.

My dealer.

Yanking out my phone, I began scrolling through my contacts. My dealer was technically a hotel maintenance man, so his number was under Queen Hotels location in Star City. The front staff were all junkies for something, so they knew to pass me along to him. If Ollie went through my phone, he’d assume I went there for sex or something. And sometimes I did. But all of those times were with other addicts. We all got high and fucked.

Some of my happiest memories were in that hotel.

Finding it, I pressed dial and held the phone up to my ear. My phone was an untraceable, one I programmed myself so it wouldn’t go through Ollie’s firewalls. I couldn’t let anyone know what I’m doing.

I didn’t want to know what the fallout would be.

Josie picked up. “Hello, Queen Hotels Star City location, how can I help you?”

“Hey, Jos.” I smiled at the familiar voice. “Can you connect me to Patrick?”

“Sure thing.” I waited for a minute while the familiar hold music blared Beethoven or some shit. Then Patrick’s voice crackled on and I sighed in relief. “You’ve got Patrick.”

“Hey Pat. It’s Roy. I’m having a crisis.”

“Huh.” I heard him spit. “Okay, shoot.”

“I blew all the veins in my bum arm.”

“Damn, that sucks.”

“Yeah, and I’m basically out of options. I can’t shoot in my other arm, my calves, my feet, or my neck. Any ideas?”

“Hmm.” I listened to him inhale and exhale for a few minutes. “You could try the groin.”

“What, _seriously?”_ I made a face. “That’s nasty, man.”

“Hey, you asked. It’s your best option. Got anyone seeing you naked?”

“Not outside of the usual crowd.”

“Then that should work. Call me when you’re out of ideas. Or if you need a hit.”

“I will. Thanks.” I ended the call and considered my needle. Weighed my options. Then I pulled my pants down.

A quick WayneNet search told me how to find and inject into the femoral vein. It also warned against doing exactly that, but I ignored that. I’d been in worse life-threatening situations, and there was no way I could back out now.

Pinching my fingers over the vein, I inserted the needle and plunged, sighing at the relief that flew through my system. My worries were pushed away and all I felt was sweet calm.

Tossing the empty needle and syringe away into my sharps container, I hid it back in the secret compartment beneath my bed, then crawled into said bed, tucking myself in and closing my eyes.

At least now I could forget the crippling pain of having Kori gone from my life.


	110. Sorry, You Are HOW OLD?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lana gets a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry.

**Lana Lang**

I rolled my eyes. “I _know._ It’s been almost _three weeks._ Three stinking weeks! And he hasn’t answered a single one of my calls _or_ responded to my texts!”

On the other side of the line, Chloe huffed. “To be fair, he _did_ say he would be going somewhere without cell service.”

“I know, but _three weeks?”_ I threw my free hand in the air. “I feel like he’s ghosting me on purpose!”

“Honey, you were only dating for what, two months? It isn’t that big of a deal.”

“Yeah. Maybe you’re right.” A thought occurred to me. “Hey, maybe Clark knows what happened to him! They’re friends—maybe he can give me the inside scoop!”

“Lana—”

“I’ve got to go. Talk later. Bye!” Ending the call, I brought up Clark’s contact information and hit the call button.

He picked up on the second ring. “Hey, Lana.”

“Hey there, stranger. Haven’t talked to you in a while. What’re you up to?” I asked.

“Uh…not much.”

“I call bullshit, Clark, you’re hiding something. I know I’ve been out of the country for a while, but that doesn’t mean I have to be kept out of the loop. Tell me what’s going on or I’ll shove a newspaper up your ass,” I threatened.

“Um…Ma and Pa are dead,” Clark said quietly.

My mouth snapped shut and I stared in horror at the wall in front of me.

“Oh…my God,” I stammered, brushing a strand of hair out of my eyes. “Clark, I…I’m so sorry. I didn’t know—”

“Ma and Pa were small-town news, and you’re all the way in Africa. How could I expect you to know?”

“Fair.” I bit my lip. “How are you holding up?”

“Not that well,” Clark sighed. “I was getting better, but…some of my other friends have died now too.”

“I heard about Ted,” I said softly. “Clark, I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks, Lana. It’s just…been a rough few weeks over here.”

“Do you and Lois need help?” I was instantly alert. “I can be on the first flight back to Metropolis in about two hours. It might take me a while, but I can—”

“No, thank you, Lana,” Clark interrupted. “We’re all doing as well as can be expected. I know you’re in the middle of something important over there.”

I was—I was in the middle of helping Dr. Strange patch up a Zeta Tube in the Great Temple of Bana-Mighdall. At the moment it was just me, since Dr. Strange had disappeared somewhere, probably to escape the aggressive females that watched our every move. Bana-Mighdall may have become less misandrist, but it still wasn’t totally safe for men. I was in the clear only because they respected my position as a female scientist.

I was currently seeking refuge in an abandoned hallway from my guards, particularly the one who wouldn’t stop hitting on me. I might have been more receptive if I wasn’t already interested in John Henry—and not into BDSM.

Shit, John Henry. I’d forgotten to ask about him, but now definitely wasn’t the time. Not while Clark was still grieving like this.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I’d feel a lot better if I could be there for you.”

“I know, Lana. But I wouldn’t want you to drop something that important just for me. Working on communications with the Bana-Mighdall Amazons is really important.”

Clark didn’t know that I worked for the Erdel Initiative in my spare time. Hell, he probably didn’t even know what a Zeta Tube _was._ After all, the Erdel Initiative was a secret only known by a select few in Star Labs. And maybe Bruce Wayne, who owned the company. I was sworn to secrecy on the matter, because if the public found out that we had teleportation abilities now…it wouldn’t be pleasant for anyone involved.

“Just…promise you’ll tell me if anything else happens?” I asked.

A pause. “Of course, Lana. I’ll do that.” Someone yelled something in the background. “Okay, look, I have to go. Laney’s throwing a fit because he lost at Mario Kart.”

I blinked. “Who’s Laney?”

“Long story,” Clark sighed. “I need to go. Bye.”

“Bye.”

He hung up and I stared at my phone for a solid minute before I put it away and blew out a breath. “Poor Clark,” I said to no one.

I’d liked Ma and Pa Kent. They’d always been nice to me whenever I visited—they’d even named a milk cow after me. And now that they were dead…

That man and woman were Clark’s whole world before Lois and Kara and his kids came into the picture. I couldn’t even _begin_ to imagine the pain Clark was going through, nor did I want to.

I huffed and ran a hand through my hair. “Guess I have to get back to work,” I said, still talking to no one. “Zeta Tube isn’t going to fix itself.”

I hadn’t even taken a single step forward when suddenly a swirling vortex opened up beneath my feet with an almighty boom. I didn’t even have time to shout before I was falling through and down onto a metal floor.

I managed to land on my feet as I heard another boom. Looking up, I saw the vortex vanish like it had never existed.

“Welcome to the Warworld, Lana Lang.”

Looking around, I saw that I was in a giant metal room lit harshly with bright lights. Lined on every wall was a black pod with red glass. Some were empty, some were not.

It was only then that the words spoken registered to me.

“Warworld?” My stomach dropped with fear. “No—that giant satellite from the Reach invasion?”

“Very astute, though it should be noted that Mongul was to blame for that incident.”

The voice was coming from behind me. Turning, I braced myself for a massive soldier—

—and instead had to look down at what looked like Blue Beetle if Blue Beetle’s armor was red and he was three-and-a-half feet tall.

I blinked.

“I am Red Beetle,” Red Beetle greeted. “Please do not struggle or you will force me to resort to violence. If you would please come with me, we can—”

“How old are you?” The words were out of my mouth before I could think about them properly.

Red Beetle paused. “Pardon?”

“How old are you?” I repeated, more than a little confused.

“My host body is almost four years old—I am ancient beyond your comprehension,” Red Beetle responded. “Now if you would please—”

“Your host body? You mean you’re possessing a _child?”_ I was suddenly furious. “How _dare_you! Let go of him this instant or I’ll—!”

Red Beetle’s arm morphed into a plasma cannon and he pointed it at me.

I stopped talking.

“Very good.” The plasma cannon dematerialized. “Please come with me.”

Gritting my teeth, I followed him as he led me toward an open pod, weighing my options.

I couldn’t fight him, that much was obvious. I’d seen Blue Beetle in action, and that was scary enough. And if I did, I might hurt the kid.

But what would happen to me if I went into that pod?

As we neared the pod, I looked at the pods around us. The one to my left was empty, but the one to the right—

_“John!”_ I gasped. _“John Henry!”_

Momentarily forgetting my current predicament, I rushed forward and pressed my fingers to the glass separating us. “John Henry!” I said, tapping the glass. “John Henry, can you hear me?”

Maybe a stupid question, since his eyes were closed and his breathing was deeper than normal. He looked okay, except for a massive scar across his throat, like it had been cut.

My blood began to boil.

_“What did you do to him?”_ I snarled, whirling to face Red Beetle.

“Me? Nothing. Though I can’t say the same about the Appalaxians that killed him.”

My vision went red.

_Killed—_

“Rest assured, he’s recovered quite nicely. His meta-gene was quite interesting as well. Kryptonian powers—an excellent addition.

_Meta-gene—_

_ Oh dear God in Heaven._

“You—” I swallowed. “You want to activate my meta-gene.”

“Correct,” Red Beetle confirmed.

“But…but…”

_I didn’t know if I had the meta-gene._

“Miss Lang, if you would kindly step into the pod.” Red Beetle gestured to the open pod meant for me.

“You can’t,” I gasped. “You _can’t—”_

The plasma cannon came back. “Now, please.”

My legs shaking, I stepped into the pod.

It slid closed.

Tears began to pool in my eyes.

I couldn’t see Red Beetle through the glass—he was _that_ Goddamn tiny—but I heard the sound of a button being pushed.

Then the shocks began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No I'm not.


	111. Lullaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red Beetle's host reflects on life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.

**Lor-Zod**

_Hush-a-bye, you sweet little baby_

_And don’t you cry any more_

_Daddy is down at his stockbroker’s office_

_A-keeping the wolf from the door_

_Nursie will raise the window shade high_

_So you can see the cars whizzing by_

_Home in a hurry each daddy must fly_

_To a baby like you_

The bug scared me.

It made me do things.

Mean things.

Things I didn’t want to do.

I didn’t like the bug.

The bug’s friends destroyed Mommy and Daddy.

I wanted Mommy and Daddy.

I wanted to go home.

I didn’t want to fight.

I didn’t want to be with the bugs.

I wanted to go home.

I wanted to sleep.

I wanted to eat.

I wanted to talk.

The bug made me do things.

I wanted to do things.

I wanted someone to save me.

Would someone please save me?

_Hush-a-bye, you sweet little baby_

_And close those pretty blue eyes_

_Mother is down at her weekly bridge party_

_To get her wee baby the prize_

_Nursie will turn the radio on_

_So you can hear a sleepy time song_

_Sung by a lady whose poor heart must long_

_For a baby like you_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm REALLY sorry.


	112. Competition?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Stephanie find something interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something nice to make up for all the sadness I've thrown y'all's way.

**Tim Drake**

“Huh.” I peered at my computer screen. “This is interesting.”

Stephanie poked her head over my shoulder. “What? Please tell me Lex Luthor did something stupid again.”

“No, but apparently we aren’t the only unregulated vigilantes running around.” I pointed at the screen. “Apparently Mica, Arizona’s got a few new heroes.”

“Really.” Stephanie sounded interested. “Fresh meat or experienced?”

“Fresh meat, I’m guessing, since they’re new. And they’re all teenagers,” I noted. “Interesting.”

“You got that right. What’ve we got, average fighters or metas?”

“My guess would be metas, since reports are in about precognition, claw marks, night vision, sand monsters, and something too fast to see.”

“Neat.” Stephanie pursed her lips. “You know, all that kind of sounds familiar…the speedster thing is a no-brainer but precog…that kind of sounds like something Hourman did.”

“Hourman? The old JSA hero? Didn’t he die a long time ago?”

“Killed, I think.”

“Right, I remember. By…Sportsmaster and Huntress. Ouch. Hang on a second.” I started typing. “Remember the old JSA heroes?”

“Um…I remember Red Tornado, Wildcat, and Hourman, but that’s about it. Why?”

“I’m just thinking.” I pulled up my files on the old JSA heroes. “So we’ve got the precog, which is Hourman. Then there’s night vision—that sounds like Dr. MidNite. Sand could be Sandman. And the speedster thing is obviously either the first Flash or Quick.”

“And the claws…that must be Wildcat,” Stephanie realized. “So you think…”

“Yeah.” I ran a hand through my hair. “The JSA heroes are making a reappearance in the next generation.”

Stephanie whistled. “Damn. The JL is going to have a field day with this one.”

“I’ll send them the information,” I told her, typing in a few commands, “but we’ll have to deal with this later.”

“Attention, Masters and Mistresses, we are approaching East Otto State Forest, so I must insist that all electronic devices are deactivated.” A pause. “That means you, Master Timothy.”

“Damn it,” I cursed.

Stephanie giggled. I swatted her in response.


	113. Doctor's Appointment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terry goes to his doctor's appointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be patient with me, this is my first time writing a trans character who hasn't transitioned yet.

**Terry McGinnis**

“Terri McGinnis? Matthew McGinnis?” the nurse called.

I gnashed my teeth. Even though my name had been said verbally, I knew it had been meant as Terr_i_ not Terr_y._ One of these days I was going to have a stern conversation with my parents about getting rid of my deadname.

Assuming they ever stopped the custody battle.

Nora smiled down at me from where she was sitting beside me in the doctor’s waiting room. “Go on, buddy. Need some help carrying your brother?”

“No,” I said confidently. “I can do it.”

Nodding, Nora unstrapped the harness from her shoulders and passed it over to me. I carefully strapped the harness on, making sure to adjust Matt so he was comfortable on my chest.

My baby brother looked up at me and gurgled, grinning up at me with a gummy smile as I walked across the room to follow the nurse into the halls beyond the waiting room.

I wished Nora could have come back with us, but she wasn’t allowed to—normally Mom and Dad took Matt and I to our doctor’s appointments, but since they were still in the middle of their big custody battle, Nora got to take us. She couldn’t legally get information about us, though, so Matt and I had to go back to the exam room alone.

I huffed a sigh.

Why did life have to be so complicated?

The nurse led me into an exam room and gestured to the table with its steps. “Sit here, please.”

I carefully climbed up onto the table and sat, idly stroking Matt’s hair with one hand.

“The doctor will be with you in just a moment,” the nurse said before walking out of the room and closing the door.

I sighed, causing Matt to giggle.

Why couldn’t I have waited outside with Nora until the doctor was ready for me?

For the next few minutes, I busied myself with humming some of my favorite songs, stroking Matt’s hair, and wondering what things would be like when I was a boy. Would the other boys let me play with them more often? Would pretty girls actually like me back? Would I be able to go into the boys’ bathroom without getting yelled at? What would that be like?

The door creaked open.

Looking up, I saw an unfamiliar woman with pale skin, long brown hair tied in a ponytail, and glasses walk in. She was wearing a lab coat, along with a professional looking shirt and skirt, which was weird, since everyone here only ever wore scrubs.

“You’re not Dr. Casey,” I said, carefully eyeing her. “Who are you?”

“Dr. Casey is in another room,” the woman said cheerfully. She had a heavy accent. “I am Dr. Jace. Nice to meet you.”

She held out her hand. I didn’t shake it.

Something was wrong here. I could feel it. There was something off about this Dr. Jace, something creepy. I didn’t like her.

Matt didn’t like her very much either, because he was making high noises that he only made when he was stressed. I shushed him and combed my hand through his hair.

“We put you in the wrong room,” Dr. Jace said pleasantly. “I am here to bring you to Dr. Casey. All right?”

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong here—

I climbed off the table, but instead of going toward Dr. Jace, I moved back, pressing my back into the corner of the room and covering Matt protectively with my hands.

“I don’t like you,” I said clearly. “Get out. I want Dr. Casey.”

“I am going to bring you to Dr. Casey,” Dr. Jace repeated.

“I don’t believe you. Get out!” I insisted, louder this time. Matt began to cry.

“All right, I will bring you Dr. Casey.” Dr. Jace pulled out a weird rectangular remote and pressed a big red spot in the center.

A loud boom split the air and I yelled as lights flashed and I felt like I was falling. Looking down, I gasped as I saw a metal floor rapidly approaching.

Hitting the floor hard, I fell to my knees, my arms still wrapped around Matt. Gasping, I jerked my head around, trying to figure out where I was—

“Excellent. New test subjects. Thank you, Jace.”

Looking up, I saw a giant white gorilla in a red vest with strange straps and, for some reason, a brain covered in a glass bowl towering over me. It was smiling in a mean way, a scar on its mouth making it look creepier.

“Take the babe,” the gorilla said, though its mouth didn’t move. “I’ll put the boy in the pod.”

“Of course, Ultra-Humanite.”

Suddenly the gorilla was lifting me up and Matt’s harness was being pulled off of me.

“No! Matt!” I screamed. “Let me go! Let _him_ go! _MATT!”_

Matt was screaming his head off as Dr. Jace pulled him away from me and carried him off somewhere I couldn’t see. I struggled as the gorilla—Ultra-Humanite, I think—pulled me away.

Thinking fast, I bit Ultra-Humanite’s arm. He roared, but instead of dropping me, he squeezed tighter. I gasped in pain as I was carried toward an open glass tube splashed with black goo.

“Let me go you…you…cocksucker!” I yelled, using one of the words Dad had called Mom when he’d found out Matt and I were Bruce Wayne’s kids. Ultra-Humanite ignored me and shoved me in the tube, closing it before I could get out.

I banged on the glass. “Let go of us! Matt! Let us go _right now_ you overgrown chimpanzee!”

Suddenly Dr. Jace was standing in front of me. Kneeling down so she was at my height, she placed her hands in front of the glass.

“Do not worry, my child,” she said soothingly. “Everything will be all right.”

Something wet and gooey touched my feet and looking down, I saw more of that black stuff coming in through the floor and coming up over my feet and up my legs.

Panic spread through me. “No!” I screamed, banging even harder on the glass. “Let me out! Stop it! Please!”

The black stuff was at my waist now.

Tears began rolling down my face. “Help me!” I shrieked. “Somebody! Anybody! Just _help me!”_

The black stuff was up to my chest, then my neck, and I had just enough time to breathe in a lot of air before I was covered in the stuff.

I tried to hold my breath for as long as I could, but it was no use. Soon enough I was coughing and breathing in the stuff, and all I could think of was what they were doing to Matt before everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also please don't hate me.


	114. Floating Through Time And Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An update on Rachel.

**Rachel Roth**

_I had no idea where I was going._

_ Only that I had to get there fast._

_ I flitted through time and space, just barely glimpsing flashes of lights and shadows and sounds and smells and tastes and textures and other sensations before they disappeared._

_ I was looking for someone._

_ I knew I had to find them fast._

_ Something yellow flashed in my mind._

_ The world careened to a halt._

_ And I knew who I was looking for._

_ Wally West._


	115. Sleeping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An update on Kaldur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a short one today.

**Dolphin**

Kaldur was still in a coma. Or unconscious. Or sleeping. I honestly could not tell.

I was sitting by his bedside, as I had for the last twenty-four hours, munching on a salad La’gaan had brought me, waiting to see if Kaldur would wake up.

So far, no such luck.

Someone sat beside me, and I looked over to see Tula smiling sadly at me.

“Do not worry,” she said softly. “He will wake up. I am sure of it.”

I sighed, glancing back at the man who I considered my brother.

“Yes,” I murmured, “but to what?”


	116. Welcome To Apokolips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!

**Hank Henshaw**

_“Wake.”_

What?

_“Wake.”_

What?

What was this?

Where…?

_“Wake.”_

Terri?

_“Wake up, Hank Henshaw.”_

My eyes snapped open.

“Good morning, Hank Henshaw,” a gruesomely deformed thing said to me in a nasally voice. “Welcome to Apokolips.”


	117. Bless You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hmm…

**Clark Kent**

I sneezed.

“Bless you,” Lois said, not even looking up from her laptop. “What was that about?”

I shrugged. “Probably someone talking about Superman again.”

“If you sneezed every time someone talked about Superman, you’d never stop sneezing and you’d die,” Lois said matter-of-factly.

I paused. _“Can_ you die from sneezing?”

“I’m sure there is someone in Hell doing just that.”

I smiled at the image.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry the chapters are so short…I'm going through a depressive episode right now but I PROMISED myself that I'd still crank out some chapters, so this is the result. I promise I'll have longer ones for y'all later.


	118. New Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Light is plotting…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you know how I mentioned I was in a depression? Well it just so happens that this is the week college starts for me…
> 
> But I promised myself that I would continue to write, even if it's only a little, and I WILL, damnit.

**Teekl**

“And you’re sure this plan will work?” Luthor asked dubiously.

“For the fifth and final time, yes,” the Reach Scientist said with an air of impatience. “There is no flaw.”

“All in favor?” Savage asked.

Everyone on the light raised their hands, Klarion included. I lifted my tail, just to feel included.

“Then we may proceed,” Savage said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh.


	119. Happy Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone's turning five!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like crying, so here.

**Lor-Zod**

_Happy birthday to me_

_Happy birthday to me_

_Happy birthday dear Lor-Zod_

_Happy birthday to me_

I was five today.

_“What is a birthday?”_ my scarab asked.

I ignored it and went back to singing in my head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry.


	120. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Athanasia gets an unpleasant surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for my brief disappearance. I had to start my new job as well as college, so things went a little bit messy. Not to mention the depression. This will probably be all I can crank out for the week, so I hope you enjoy!

**Athanasia al Ghul**

I distrusted many people.

In the line of life an assassin leads, distrust is crucial. You never know who will stab you in the back—and I had many people who would willingly stab me in the back.

But the one person I distrusted most of all was Slade Wilson.

He stood before us now, his face bare, flanked by beetles Black and Yellow, a smirk on his face.

I wanted to carve it off with a tiny, tiny knife.

My cousin Mara and I stood on either side of _Jid_ as he sat in his throne, staring at Slade with a contemplative look.

Slade bowed. “Greetings, old friend.”

_Jid_ inclined his head. “Greetings, Deathstroke. I understand you have come to negotiate with me.”

“Yes. I understand you wish to take part in Project Puppet.” Slade’s smirk grew. “Getting greedy, are we?”

It took all of my self-control not to leap over and punch Slade in his face.

“You are one to talk,” _Jid_ returned. “I understand you will be receiving a Mister Richard Grayson?”

“Hey now. I just want one. _You_ want several,” Slade said, clicking his tongue. “Fortunately, the Light is generous, and we are willing to provide you with your required resources. You want Todd, Cain, and your errant grandson, correct?”

I gnashed my teeth at the thought of my traitorous brother—and even more at the fact that _he_would become the Demon’s Fist over me.

Mara felt the same, I knew. We had had many fights over which of us was worthy of becoming the Demon’s Fist before _Jid_ informed us both that my traitorous brother was to become the Demon’s Fist.

_Now_ it was a competition between Mara and I to see who would receive the honor of killing Damian first and earning our place as _Jid’s_ rightful heir.

“Mmm. Yes, I do desire them. However, I also request two more—the eldest Wayne and the Drake boy.”

Slade snorted. “Both Brucie _and_ little Timmy? Now who’s greedy?”

“I require a puppet in the economic field, and you know how much I despise Lex Luthor,” _Jid_said carelessly, tapping a finger on the armrest of his throne. “And as for the Drake boy—well. I am in the market for a consort. And who better than the boy whose skills surpass even that of Bruce Wayne himself?”

It took all of my willpower not to gag.

Timothy Drake? _Jid’s_ consort? _Seriously?_

On the one hand, it _would_ be a powerful match.

On the _other_ hand…disgusting.

“I assume that will not be a problem, Slade.” _Jid_ twined his hands beneath his chin. “I cannot foresee any use for him that the Light may have.”

“Quite the contrary, _old friend.”_ Slade’s smirk twisted. “You see, Savage and Luthor both require a puppet in the political and economic world—both are excellent candidates. Not to mention the…other plans.”

“Ah.” _Jid_ raised an eyebrow. “You seek to activate their meta-genes.”

“It would be interesting to see what becomes of Wayne’s family if they undergo the meta-gene process—_if_ they survive the process.”

“Well.” _Jid_ licked his lips. “Might I be in the position to bargain for them?”

“Perhaps.” Slade tilted his head to one side. “Todd, Cain, and your grandson come free—that _was_ our original arrangement. But what are you willing to offer for Bruce and Timothy?”

“You know the riches I have,” _Jid_ said carelessly, examining a fingernail. “Might that persuade you?”

“We have all the riches we need, thank you.” Slade rolled his eye. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

“Hmm.” _Jid_ was silent for a moment. Then his eyes lit up. “Might I propose a fair trade—a person for a person?”

Slade perked up. “Interesting. Who would you be willing to trade?”

“Why, my granddaughters, of course.”

_Wait._

I whirled around. _“What—”_

“Sold,” Slade said. He gestured to the Beetles. “Take them.”

“You cannot _do_ this!” Mara shrieked. She drew her sword.

I drew my knives and lunged at _Jid._

A terrible force hit me midair and I gasped before I slammed into the wall, my last thought before blackness overtook my vision was that I would kill _Jid_ if it was the last thing I did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry.


	121. The Letter She Kept Waiting For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami gets a letter from her parents.

**Asami Koizumi**

I stared at the letter in my hands.

It was addressed to Toshio Eto.

_Toshio Eto._

My eyes burned.

“Sam?”

I looked up to see Tye, _amai_ Tye, standing in the doorway of my room. _“Daijōbudesuka?”_ he asked, looking worried. _Sweet._ _Are you okay?_

_“Hai,”_ I replied.

_“Uso-tsuki.”_ Tye came to sit beside me on my bed. “What’s going on?” _Liar._

“A letter.” I showed it to him. “To Toshio Eto.”

Tye’s face darkened. “I see your parents still haven’t gotten the memo.”

I sighed. “No.”

Tye huffed a breath. “Well, what’s it about?”

“They are…coming to the MHYC.” It hurt to get the next words out. “They want to…meet me. And you.”

Tye stiffened. “You can say no, you know,” he said quickly. “Or we could have Roy or Vic chase them away. You don’t have to see them.”

“I know.” I took a deep breath. “But I think…I think I can see them. One last time.”

“Are you sure?” Tye looked alarmed. “Sam, these are your _parents._ Your father _beat_ you. Your mother _abandoned_ you. They _hate_ you for being _who you are._ And now you want to see them? Why?”

“To get…” I bit my lip, searching for the word. _“Heisa._ I cannot…I need to…be clean of them.” _Closure._

Tye, bless him, nodded. “Yeah. I guess that makes sense. I got my _heisa_ when Spoiler killed Maurice. You can get your closure now.”

I nodded, glad he understood. _“Hai. Arigatō,_ Tye.” _Yes. Thanks._

“My pleasure, Sam.”

I leaned against him, content.

Yes, I would get my _heisa._ Once and for all.

My name was Asami Koizumi now.

And it was time to wash Toshio Eto down the drain for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ASAMI IS TRANS TOSHIO ETO AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. ALSO HER PARENTS ARE TRANSPHOBIC ASSHOLES.


End file.
